The Optus Stadium in Perth was named the winner of the 2019 Prix Versailles World Architecture and Design Award in the Sports category. Built with almost 30,000 tonnes of steel supplied by InfraBuild, Optus Stadium won the Prix Versailles, beating five other stadiums.
Held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the Prix Versailles is awarded to a sporting arena based on its exterior architecture and interior design. Judged by an independent panel of architects, designers and prominent figures from the arts, the winning venue is chosen for its innovation, creativity, adoption of local natural and cultural heritage, and energy efficiency.
The Prix Versailles accolade recognises the Optus Stadium as the most beautiful sporting facility in the world. The stadium was built using 16,000 tonnes of structural steel supplied by InfraBuild Steel Centre (formerly LIBERTY OneSteel Metalcentre) and another 13,500 tonnes of reinforcing steel supplied by InfraBuild Construction Solutions (formerly LIBERTY OneSteel Reinforcing).
Designed collaboratively by HASSELL, Cox and HKS Architects, and built by a consortium led by Multiplex, the stadium features a unique roof, with the design inspired by the swing arm of a Moto2 World Championship motorcycle. The design by Brookfield’s James Murray-Parkes was made possible by the use of structural steel. Fifty steel trusses make up the roof structure, with efficient use of materials enabling significant cost savings. Steel V-propping was also used throughout the stadium instead of concrete blade columns, which helped promote consistency of connections as well as design language.
“Optus Stadium is a landmark project that successfully changed the way fans experience sporting and entertainments events,” HASSELL principal Peter Dean said.
“This international award is a testament to the hard work of our design team, our project partners, and our talented collaborators from the Whadjuk indigenous community, who worked diligently on creating something truly spectacular.”
Since its opening in January 2018, the 60,000-seat multipurpose stadium has won several prestigious awards, many of them for excellence in design and construction; these include the 2018 Australian Construction Achievement Award, the 2018 Stadium Business Design & Development Awards’ Project of the Year award, and the 2019 Good Design Awards’ Gold Winner award, among others.
Optus Stadium in Perth - Image courtesy Prix Versailles
