Populous appointed to assess Canberra city stadium proposal

The proposed Canberra city stadium has taken another step forward, with Populous appointed to undertake concept design and feasibility work by Canberra Airport, which is leading the Regatta Place proposal.

The appointment advances investigations into the proposed 25,000-seat covered venue, with the firm to assess the site’s suitability, develop a concept design and coordinate independent construction cost estimates.

The work will include engineering, traffic and pitch delivery recommendations, alongside consideration of the stadium’s sustainability and its response to Canberra’s climate.

The appointment follows the city stadium proposal unveiled earlier this month, which identified Commonwealth land occupied by Archbishop’s House and adjoining car parking beside Commonwealth Park.

Promoted as a potential home for the Canberra Raiders and ACT Brumbies, the stadium would also accommodate international football, concerts and other major events.

The proposal remains subject to resolving land arrangements, planning approvals and funding. Canberra Airport has said it will contribute resources to assess and develop the concept, but does not intend to own or operate the completed venue.

Populous Senior Principal and APAC Regional Board Director Al Baxter will lead the work. The former Wallaby was born in Canberra and also trained in the city during his rugby career.

The firm recently led the design of Christchurch’s One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha, which provides a reference point for the Canberra proposal.

The fully covered Christchurch venue was designed to accommodate sport, concerts and community events within a central city location.

“This is an exciting opportunity to bring our global experience of designing One New Zealand Stadium to Canberra and explore how a new stadium could respond to the city, its climate and the needs of its community,” Baxter said.

Canberra Airport Managing Director Stephen Byron said the appointment would help establish whether the proposal could be delivered.

“We said from day one that this proposal would be evidence-led and tested rigorously. The appointment of Populous is an important step in that process,” Byron said.

“Christchurch will provide an important benchmark and starting point for the design, but the final concept will be tailored to Canberra, its needs and its climate.”

Populous will also draw on its experience designing venues including Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, CommBank Stadium in Sydney and Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

The Regatta Place concept provides an alternative to stadium development at Bruce, where the Raiders and Brumbies remain based at GIO Stadium.

The recent Bruce Precinct Master Plan retained options to build a new stadium on the CIT Bruce site or renew the venue broadly in its existing location. Neither option has been selected, with the city proposal now undergoing its own design and feasibility assessment.