Blacktown Olympic Park AFL & Cricket Facilities by DesignInc

The sporting ethos and spirit unites the masses in gathering for rivalry, competition and celebration. With stadium archetypes seen over time as great colossal structures, on a smaller scale, DesignInc has enlivened a community in their recent completion of the Blacktown Olympic Park AFL & Cricket Facilities.

Conceptually, the design is seen simply as a group of three white buildings, each with different approaches to wrapping and enclosure. A refined yet flexible master plan, the scheme accommodates for a 1500-seat capacity in the grandstand with open possibilities for expansion of up to 20,000 seats in the future, dependent on the venue’s success. The brief also called for the stadium to have a 250- seat function room, kitchen, a series of player’s facilities and media offices, a separate 100-square-metre indoor practice centre and a dedicated amenities building.

The stadium itself wraps around the perimeter of Oval 1 and folds down over three levels and the pedestrian circulation concourse, before folding again over the main entry arch and function room areas. Delicate folds in structure reveal dynamic public areas lined by a series of panels in bold colours of yellow, white and grey.

The roof over the indoor practice area wraps over the North and South ends, terminating at a low awning on the public side of the forecourt. Clad in translucent polycarbonate walls, the Eastern façade of the building facing the stadium lets abundant natural light in during the day and glows at night.

A sophisticated yet utilitarian structure, the building takes on characteristics of a ‘decorated shed’ that also adopts natural ventilation strategies through its perimeter walls, whilst summoning maximum daylight through pop-up clerestory skylights.

In poetic expression of structure, the third building for amenities at Oval 2 consists of two smaller buildings united by roofs that fold out from each other like two gull wings opening out towards the oval. A connection between land and sky, the roofs appear to float and hover above the masonry structures, lined with continuous highlevel windows. Towards the public forecourt side of the building, five poles hold banners to signify ticket sales and highlight the building’s function for amenities. In line with the rest of the scheme, the elevation along the publicly active forecourt side is marked with decorated panels of yellow, grey and white.

As wayfinding devices marking points of entry, two portal gates define the threshold between inside and outside the stadium, lined in bright yellow panels that enliven the journey for the spectators who enter. Nothing is hidden from the entrance, and one can see the organisation of the venue being fully presented at the entrance – where to buy food, where the amenities are and where the first aid room is. Much of these coherent, structured design principles keep the venue’s operation running smoothly and organised.

The spatial organisation is clear and thoughtful in a project adhering to a modest budget. Circulation and sequencing of spaces heighten an awareness, experience and sense of place as one makes their way through layers and folds throughout the stadium. From the ticket gate, boxed portal archways lined in bright yellow define the entrance, where one proceeds towards the forecourt, up the primary circulation stairs and ramp, through the folding iron entry with the oval in sight, through towards a colourful double-height concourse and out towards the seating areas.

The conventional stadium of today has usually utilised a uniform structure with full enclosure of an oval or sports ground. DesignInc has presented a clear, sophisticated and flexible response that has endless possibilities for future expansion. An independently balanced structure, its stadium roof is assembled in stages rather than relying on previously built parts making up the whole. An honest expression of materials, poetic articulation of folds and playfulness of colours makes the new Blacktown Olympic Park a valuable contribution of architecture for the here and now, designed for the beyond. +

PHOTOGRAPHY Steve Back

1. The stadium, as part of DesignInc’s master plan is seen as one of three white buildings with different approaches to folding, wrapping and enclosure. 2. The approach to the stadium is marked by two portal gates, defining a point of entry lined in bright yellow panels. 3. The lightweight roof above the stadium seating hovers like gull wings opening out towards the oval. 4. The grandstand was designed for a 1500-seat capacity, with the flexibility to accommodate 20,000 seats in the future. 5. The mechanised, flexible steel structure is contrasted nicely with an array of brighter-coloured panels of yellow, grey and white.