Cox Architecture chosen to lead design of Hobart’s AFL stadium

Following a competitive market testing process, Australian firm Cox Architecture has been named as the lead design consultant for Hobart’s new AFL stadium.

Appointed by the Macquarie Point Development Corporation (MPDC), Cox is well placed to deliver designs for the venue having designed Perth’s Optus Stadium, the Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville, Allianz Stadium in Sydney and the redesign of the Adelaide Oval.

Given the Tasmanian Government has committed to keeping the budget for the venue at $715 million, the economic design of the Queensland Country Bank Stadium is likely to serve as a model for the venue.

Cox Director Alastair Richardson expressed confidence that the budget will be adhered to.

While the stadium does not yet have a finalised concept design, Richardson says the design will likely be different to early mock-ups released by the Tasmanian Government and the AFL.

Richardson said the early renders “give some clues of what we don't want to do.

"This building needs to be scaled, transparent, open, something that actually has an engagement with the city and not a concrete wall, sort of blocking off its access."

Richardson said told the ABC that he is confident the final design would be "respectful to the grain of Hobart as a whole", noting “one of the key things we want to do is to really make sure that this engages with the streetscape, that this engages with people walking around, and obviously is respectful to the Cenotaph in terms of how it sits just below the escarpment.”

With MPDC having previously said a stadium design concept would be ready by the middle of this year, MPDC Chief Executive, Anne Beach advised “the team includes local Tasmanian architectural firm Cumulus Studio, and specialist engineers and technicians, including AECOM, local experts Cova, Aldanmark, and Pitt & Sherry, as well as international partner Schlaich Bergermann Partners (SBP), who brings experience in world-leading designs such as SoFI Stadium in California.

“This partnership brings national and international expertise and excellence, which will not only deliver this exciting development, but leave a lasting legacy in our local industry.”

Earlier this week, the opposition Tasmanian Labor Party announced that it would be supporting the proposed stadium, having previously highlighted a series of objections to the project.

Images: The early concept for the new Hobart Stadium (top, credit: AFL/Infrastructure Tasmania) and Cox Architecture's Queensland Country Bank Stadium (below).