New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 35/01C | Page 85

Facing page upper:Designed
by Hassell + Populous,
ICC Sydney’s three venues and
precinct redefined Sydney’s
Darling Harbour and provided
more public space. Photo by
Brett Boardman.
Facing page lower:One reason
for choosing Stratford for the
London Olympic Park was the
efficient public transport linking
this area with the rest of London.
Interactive fan experience
A combination of advances in digital technology
and the move for architects to design stadia and
arenas within a comprehensive BIM environment
means that a whole new range of opportunities are
being opened up to enable fans to interact with
venues in more ways than just the traditional
physical visit to the building.
Tottenham Hotspur has utilised a full range
of virtual and augmented reality as part of their
engagement with fans at the new stadium.
Hospitality sales have been driven out of a VR sales
suite, rather than the more traditional mock-up of a
hospitality box, with interactive 3D walk-throughs
and augmented reality also utilised to enable cus-
tomers to get a much more realistic perspective of
the new stadium before they buy their tickets.
They have also recently launched their general
admission sales with a digital platform that allows
fans to explore each individual seat in an online
360-degree bowl environment, which provides
interactive seat views on their mobile phones.
Rethinking the playing field
Having the ability to provide different playing sur-
faces within a stadium opens up a much wider range
of possibilities for hosting sports and entertainment
events and developing a transformable venue.
This was a key factor for Tottenham Hotspur
in developing their innovative moving pitch that
provides a natural grass surface for Premier League
Football and artificial grass for American Football.
Significant investment in modelling and prototyp-
ing the fully automated pitch trays was undertaken to
ensure that the dynamic performance of the playing
surface and behaviour of the joint between moving
sections of the pitch was fully understood and com-
patible with the sport, ahead of construction.
The speed of changeover provided by the auto-
mated system was also a key concern in being able to
offer optimum flexibility in event planning and transi-
tions between sports and surfaces, which will open up
new options for promoters in scheduling events.
Automated amenities
As part of the technological revolution in society,
people are becoming increasingly reliant on their
smartphones to direct, organise and even pay for
purchases. Digital apps are now commonplace and
the role of cash in transactions is steadily reducing,
as younger generations grow up without an under-
standing of how a cheque, notes or coins would be
used in a transaction.
Tottenham Hotspur have taken the bold decision
to make their new stadium a completely cashless
venue, which will require fans to pay for food and
drink and other retail purchases with a digital device.
This opens up opportunities for varying the com-
mercial offers within the stadium during an event
and for fans receiving information and offers during
a match that can be linked to the outcome of a
game or future event. Digital signage in retail areas
and around concessions can also be linked to the
same digital platform and adjust pricing and offers
according to the commercial environment.
Connecting the venue
One of the big advances in the design and plan-
ning of stadia and arenas has been to see how they
can be fully integrated into urban environments and
move away from being standalone object buildings
that only come to life on a match day.
Joint venture partners, Hassell + Populous
designed Sydney’s international convention, exhibi-
tion and entertainment precinct at Darling Harbour.
The precinct reflects the dynamism of Sydney’s
cityscape, redefining Darling Harbour, while respect-
ing the precinct’s parkland setting. One of the most
important features of ICC Sydney is that it provides
more public open space than was there before, a
better space with greater amenity for everyone. It
is about being open, welcoming and enjoying what
makes Sydney a truly global and unique city.
Transport
The movement of spectators to and from a large
stadium can provide one of the most challeng-
ing logistics associated with the planning of an
event. As road networks struggle to cope with the
pressures of increasing traffic and local residents
battle to find parking close to home on a match day,
public transport solutions have become increasingly
important in making transport to an event a safe and
comfortable experience.
The selection of Stratford for the London Olympic
Park was heavily influenced by the public transport
network that linked this area with the rest of the city,
and the ease with which large crowds move into and
out of the Queen Elizabeth Park is a testament to the
efficiency and diversity of this network. Linking the
Olympic Park with local, national and international
public transport networks only serves to enhance its
reputation for successfully hosting major events.
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