Macquarie Point Stadium – design description

What is the Macquarie Point Stadium project in a nutshell?

The new stadium in Hobart is planned for the long-awaited Australian football team from Tasmania, which is expected to join the AFL from the 2028 season. The stadium itself is expected to be ready a little later and is intended to host other events as well, becoming a leading sports arena not only for Hobart, but for all of Tasmania.

The stadium is to stand at Macquarie Point, a post-industrial area located on the Derwent River waterfront, close to Hobart's city center.

The facility will be designed primarily for Australian football, so it will be given an oval form – but playing cricket, football and rugby games will also be possible. The stadium will accommodate 23,000 spectators, and its hallmark will be a full canopy in the form of a transparent, flattened dome.

Why is a new stadium needed in Hobart?

Since Australian football is extremely popular in Tasmania, there have been discussions about establishing a team in Tasmania since the Victorian State League (VFL) was transformed into a national championship (AFL) in 1990. Over the years, however, this goal failed to materialize, and the only tangible presence of the league on the island was the occasional games played by teams based in Melbourne.

Back in 2019, a report emerged stating that neither of the island's two largest stadiums, Bellerive Oval in the state capital, Hobart, nor York Park in Launceston (Tasmania's second largest city, located in the northern part of the island and also aspiring to host an AFL team), with a capacity of around 20,000 spectators each, is a serious bid to become the home venue of a potential AFL team.

The desired solution, which has become one of the key conditions for a team from Tasmania to join as the league's 19th team, is the construction of a new, larger and more modern stadium.

What was the previous concept for a new stadium in Hobart?

On March 1, 2022, the then Prime Minister of Tasmania, Peter Gutwein, presented a plan for a new stadium in Hobart. The stadium was to be built on the banks of the Derwent River, on an artificially raised jetty, at what is known as Regatta Point. The facility was to be equipped with a retractable roof and stands for 27,000 spectators. The cost of building the stadium was estimated at 750 million Australian dollars.

When was the new vision for the stadium at Macquarie Point conceived?

However, after consultations with AFL officials, there was a turnaround, and in September 2022 the so-called Macquarie Point site was designated as the preferred location. The site is not far from Regatta Point, near The Cenotaph obelisk. The choice of Macquarie Point eliminates the need for an artificial wharf.

Initial renderings showing the new stadium at Macquarie Point appeared in November 2022. In May 2024, it was announced that the design work would be handled by a team led by COX Architecture, which would also include Cumulus Studio, AECOM, Cova, Aldanmark, Pitt & Sherry and schlaich bergermann partner. New renderings prepared by this team were published on July 7, 2024.

What does the concept for the new Macquarie Point Stadium entail?

The new vision calls for an oval-shaped stadium with a capacity of 23,000 spectators. Unlike the Regatta Point stadium project, according to which the facility would receive a retractable roof, the plans for Macquarie Point call for a fixed roof that will fully cover the field and stands.

The roof will be given the shape of a flattened dome, reaching a height of 51 meters above the pitch at its highest point. Its skeleton will be made of local wood and supported by steel elements. A transparent membrane made of ETFE material will let in plenty of sunlight and allow natural turf to be maintained inside.

The facility will have an oval form, which is, of course, due to its adaptation to the oval playing field for Australian football; it will also be a reference to the former railway roundhouse structure, which was part of the old Hobart Rail Yard from 1915 until the 1980s – the building had a circular shape and occupied a large section of the lot.

The oval playing field will measure 159.5 × 128.5 meters and will accommodate matches not only of Australian football, but also cricket, football or rugby. Underneath the second tier of the stands is to be a wide concourse that will circle the stadium around.

What will happen to the old goods shed at Macquarie Point?

At the site where the stadium is to be built, stands a more than 100-year-old, 115-meter-long former railway shed. In 2024, the building has been added to the Tasmanian Heritage Register.

Placing the building under protection complicates the matter of the stadium's construction, but does not fully block it – it is possible to proceed with the project on the condition that the old warehouse is moved to another location – plans call for it to be relocated just behind the north stand of the new stadium.

The building will not only be preserved, but is also to be incorporated into the new stadium – connected to the stands, it will be turned into a large bar for fans.

Where will the new stadium be built in Hobart?

Macquarie Point, which has been designated as the site of the new stadium, is located just outside Hobart's city center, on the banks of the Derwent River. The site formerly had an industrial character – there was a large cargo transshipment point here. After the new Brighton Transport Hub opened north of the city in 2014, the rail line leading to Macquarie Point was closed and the terminal lost its importance.

The post-industrial area, located almost in the center of the city, was decided to be revitalized. For this purpose, the Macquarie Point Development Corporation was formed and various ideas emerged for the future development of the area.

The 2016 plan called for the construction of commercial facilities, including retail and apartment buildings, as well as an art gallery or an Antarctic research center. There was also an idea to install a truth and reconciliation center at the site, intended to address the history of Aboriginal and white people coexistence.

Interestingly, the construction of a stadium on this site had already been proposed in the past, but neither of the two resulting concepts lived to see fruition. After new plans for the stadium emerged in 2022, they became the main focus of discussion in the context of the future development of Macquarie Point.

How much is the construction of Macquarie Point Stadium expected to cost?

The lack of need for a jetty, the abandonment of the retractable roof and the reduction in capacity were supposed to reduce costs. These were indeed initially reduced, albeit relatively modestly, as the cost of building the facility was estimated at A$715 million (compared to A$750 million for the stadium at Regatta Point). Later, however, the estimated cost rose to A$775 million.

How is the construction of Macquarie Point Stadium planned to be financed?

The Tasmanian government intends to provide A$375 million for the stadium, and the AFL has pledged a contribution of A$15 million. The federal government's support of A$240 million was also announced in April 2023 – this leaves a shortfall of A$145 million, which is planned to be raised by partnering with private entities to complete the budget.

Who will Macquarie Point Stadium serve?

The main host of Macquarie Point Stadium will be the new AFL team, which is intended to represent all of Tasmania. In addition to the new stadium in Hobart, it will also be based at York Park in Launceston, which is to be upgraded.

In May 2023, an agreement was reached between the Tasmanian government and the AFL, under which the new team from Tasmania is to join the league as its 19th team. One of the key conditions the AFL has set is the construction of a new stadium.

The team will be called the Tasmania Devils and is expected to join the AFL in 2028 (before the new stadium is completed, the team will play its Hobart games at the Bellerive Oval).

The new stadium, while planned primarily with the new AFL team in mind, is expected to become a venue for a wide variety of sporting and cultural events – it will be a representative sports facility not only for the Hobart metropolitan area, but also for all of Tasmania.

The full roofing of the stadium will make it one of the most modern arenas of its kind in the country and will enhance Hobart's ability to attract major events. On the other hand, there are concerns that a permanent roof, as incompatible with the International Cricket Council's recommendations, could make it impossible to host international cricket matches.

What controversy has been stirred up by plans to build a new stadium in Hobart?

Plans to build a stadium are stirring up considerable controversy. Some financial analyses show that the project is unprofitable and that the stadium will be making a substantial loss. There are also concerns that the facility will disrupt the view from The Cenotaph.

Shortly after the key decisions in April/May 2023, a protest against the stadium's construction was held outside Tasmania's parliament. About 6,000 people participated in the demonstration, demanding that money earmarked for the stadium be used for more needed purposes, such as medical care and the construction of affordable housing.

Two Tasmanian House of Assembly MPs, mainly in protest against the large stadium expenditure, quit the Liberal Party in May 2023, causing the party to lose its majority in the Tasmanian parliament.

When will a new stadium be built in Hobart?

According to the plan, construction would begin at the end of 2025, but it is likely that the start of work will be delayed somewhat. This would mean that the stadium, instead of being ready for the start of the 2029 season, would be commissioned during this season.