The stadium for the NRL’s Parramatta Eels and A-League’s Western Sydney Wanderers will seat 30,000 people and have the steepest stands in Australia.
Designed by Populous, the new $300 million Parramatta Stadium will bring fans closer to the field of play, and according to Sports Minister Stuart Ayres will be a “game changer for Sydney’s sporting heartland.”
“The new jewel in the Parramatta crown, Western Sydney Stadium was designed with the entire fan experience in mind, featuring all the mod-cons like Wi-Fi and an activation precinct set to draw the crowds on game day,” says Ayres.
Although this will feature the steepest stands in Australia, it won’t be the first ground-breaking design from Populous. The firm, who has bases in Sydney and Brisbane, also designed ANZ Stadium in Sydney (in association with BVN), and Etihad Stadium, Margaret Court Arena (in association with NH Architecture) and the MCG in Melbourne.
And that’s only on Australian shores. The global architecture firm is also responsible for the design of landmark international stadium projects such as Wembley Stadium in London and Yankee Stadium in New York.
In 2015, Populous was also recognised by BRW Magazine in its annual Top 50 Innovative Companies list.
The redevelopment of Parramatta Stadium is part of a $1.6 billion stadiums package, which the state government says is the biggest investment in sporting and entertainment infrastructure since the 2000 Olympics.
Work to demolish Parramatta Stadium will begin next year, with the new venue scheduled to open in early 2019.
