20 BEST BUILDS
OPTUS STADIUM
Location: Perth, Australia
Capacity: 60,000
Tenants: West Coast Eagles (AFL), Fremantle FC (AFL), Australian national cricket team,
Perth Scorchers (BBL/WBBL)
Opened: January 2018
Optus stadium is Western Australia’s newest venue, set within a 74-acre Stadium Park on the banks of the
Swan River. Designed by Austrailian outfit Cox Architects, the stadium design is intended to distil the
essence of the landscape through its simple and bold form that offers multiple opportunities to engage
with narratives of place. It features a stratified bronze anodized façade that reflects the unique geology of
the region that is illuminated at night with LED strip lights woven into its envelope.
The bowl design for the multi-purpose oval brings fans closer to the field, which is typically achieved in
only a rectangular configuration, and incorporates options for future events including the Commonwealth
Games, rugby and cricket matches with ‘drop-in’ portable wickets.
The roof is supplemented by advanced Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to create a continuous fabric that
is free from movement joints and integrated with lighting, which responds to Perth’s climatic conditions
and covers 85% of its seating.
EMIRATES STADIUM
Location: London, UK
Capacity: 60,704
Tenants: Arsenal FC
Opened: July 2006
In order to compete with elite soccer clubs in
Europe, the construction of Emirates Stadium
marked a departure from traditional English soccer
venues, with a greater focus on spectator
experience and increased corporate facilities. The
owners required a larger stadium and the
challenge was to fit the new venue on a difficult
tight site and deliver the maximum area for
residential development.
Uniquely, Arsenal had to meet the local council’s
requirements for the provision of social housing
and so the north London club became a one-off
property developer – delivering 2,300 homes
to help fund its US$553m facility. The success of
this scheme has since become a blueprint for other
clubs that harbor similar development potential.
The new ground delivers a unique mix of
commercial and hospitality spaces that cater for a
wide range of conferences, exhibitions and events.
It features curved glass, concrete and steel meshpanelled
façades that rise between the terraced
streets and offer a multitude of dramatic views to
the approaching visitor. The slender roof plane is
supported on just eight cores, which enables it to
float above the robust façade of the building below.
As a testament to the success of its new venue,
Arsenal has increased its gameday revenue from
US$62.4m at its previous 38,419-seater Highbury
Stadium, to more than US$150m per home game.
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