Stadia and arenas built for events such as the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games should all be temporary, according to South African architect Ruben Reddy.
Talking to CLAD, Reddy argued that most football stadiums are unsustainable, and that, if possible, sports clubs playing in the same city should attempt to share a venue, while all sporting infrastructure for major events should be temporary.
His firm – Ruben Reddy Architects – is behind the plan for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Durban, and by using existing and temporary facilities he said the cost of hosting the whole event would be £57m (US$73.8m, €65.6m), or as he described it, half of the transfer fee paid by Manchester United for Paul Pogba.
“We’re not going to be burdening the taxpayers of Durban Province and the country to upkeep the maintenance of capital projects,” he said. “We’ve learnt a hard lesson in South Africa because of the 2010 World Cup. We gave, gave, gave, and didn’t get a lot back in return.”
He highlighted the Durban-based Moses Mabhida Stadium, which cost US$450m to construct, as an example of a venue which hasn’t been sustainable for the South African government. While the original outlay was significant enough, Reddy was keen to demonstrate that sustainability becomes an issue when considering the ongoing maintenance of the building.
THE BIGGER PICTURE “Building the stadium is only 25 per cent of its life cycle,” said Reddy. “Keeping the thing to a world-class standard is a constant drain on the budget. Every year it sits there that money could be used for something else.”
To create the right conditions for these countries to bid and host these events – without stretching themselves financially – Reddy is an evangelical advocate of temporary venues.
All of the venues he has designed for the Durban Games are temporary. Facilities for weightlifting, volleyball, hockey, squash and table tennis have been designed by his firm, using materials that will be reused following the Games. All of the permanent structures earmarked for the Commonwealth Games have been built already.
Reddy lauded examples of good practice with temporary facilities, such as the handball court constructed for the Rio Olympic Games. Following the event the venue was deconstructed and used to build four schools, but Reddy revealed Durban’s plans are slightly more modest.
“The total infrastructure spend of a Commonwealth Games is around eight per cent of the Olympic Games,” he said. “The temporary facilities we’ll look at will be standard stock and not on the same level as Rio.”
But the principle remains the same, said Reddy, and stressed that it should be implemented at every major event.
Government, said Reddy, should not view the hosting of an event as a “big megalomaniac ribbon-cutting opportunity.”
Stadia and arenas built for events such as the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games should all be temporary, according to South African architect Ruben Reddy.
Talking to CLAD, Reddy argued that most football stadiums are unsustainable, and that, if possible, sports clubs playing in the same city should attempt to share a venue, while all sporting infrastructure for major events should be temporary.
His firm – Ruben Reddy Architects – is behind the plan for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Durban, and by using existing and temporary facilities he said the cost of hosting the whole event would be £57m (US$73.8m, €65.6m), or as he described it, half of the transfer fee paid by Manchester United for Paul Pogba.
“We’re not going to be burdening the taxpayers of Durban Province and the country to upkeep the maintenance of capital projects,” he said. “We’ve learnt a hard lesson in South Africa because of the 2010 World Cup. We gave, gave, gave, and didn’t get a lot back in return.”
He highlighted the Durban-based Moses Mabhida Stadium, which cost US$450m to construct, as an example of a venue which hasn’t been sustainable for the South African government. While the original outlay was significant enough, Reddy was keen to demonstrate that sustainability becomes an issue when considering the ongoing maintenance of the building.
THE BIGGER PICTURE “Building the stadium is only 25 per cent of its life cycle,” said Reddy. “Keeping the thing to a world-class standard is a constant drain on the budget. Every year it sits there that money could be used for something else.”
To create the right conditions for these countries to bid and host these events – without stretching themselves financially – Reddy is an evangelical advocate of temporary venues.
All of the venues he has designed for the Durban Games are temporary. Facilities for weightlifting, volleyball, hockey, squash and table tennis have been designed by his firm, using materials that will be reused following the Games. All of the permanent structures earmarked for the Commonwealth Games have been built already.
Reddy lauded examples of good practice with temporary facilities, such as the handball court constructed for the Rio Olympic Games. Following the event the venue was deconstructed and used to build four schools, but Reddy revealed Durban’s plans are slightly more modest.
“The total infrastructure spend of a Commonwealth Games is around eight per cent of the Olympic Games,” he said. “The temporary facilities we’ll look at will be standard stock and not on the same level as Rio.”
But the principle remains the same, said Reddy, and stressed that it should be implemented at every major event.
Government, said Reddy, should not view the hosting of an event as a “big megalomaniac ribbon-cutting opportunity.”
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
+ More news
COMPANY PROFILES
Polin Waterparks Polin was founded in Istanbul in 1976. Polin
has since grown into a leading company in
the waterpa [more...]
IAAPA EMEA IAAPA Expo Europe was established in 2006 and has grown to the largest international conference and [more...]
DJW David & Lynn Willrich started the Company
over thirty years ago, from the Audio Visual
Department [more...]
RMA Ltd RMA Ltd is a one-stop global company
that can design, build and produce from a
greenfield site upw [more...]
