Designer Phil O’Reilly has pitched a new, sunken downtown stadium design to Auckland Mayor Phil Goff called 'The Crater'.
The engineering firm behind London's Olympic Stadium and home grounds of Premier League giants Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur wants in on Auckland's submerged stadium concept "The Crater".
World-leading consultancy BuroHappold Engineering has stepped forward to contact Kiwi designer Phil O'Reilly over stunning plans revealed by theHerald on Sunday last week for a coliseum-style arena to be sunken into Downtown Auckland, using either the waterfront or former railway land nearby.
The UK-based company, which has one of the world's most impressive construction portfolios - Including the new $2 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium project in Atlanta - now wants to engage Auckland Council, local sport clubs like the Warriors and other stakeholders to help solve the city's stadium dilemma by creating something internationally "unique and iconic."
Partner at BuroHappold Engineering, Matthew Birchall, said O'Reilly's out-of-the-box concept has huge potential and his firm wants to help unlock a new stadium development in Auckland.
"It is highly unusual and we are always interested in bespoke iconic stadia," Birchall said from Bath, England.
"There is a real potential with this solution to create a modern coliseum of sport and entertainment that would enable a unique experience for the spectators and players alike, and which could generate a truly unique atmosphere.
"We would love to work with the stakeholders in Auckland to realise a new stadium development that would be a catalyst for the city's ongoing social and economic development. The city's and the professional sports clubs' needs could work very well together - creating an active and iconic venue that inspires a generation."
Designer Phil O'Reilly has pitched a new, sunken downtown stadium design, called the Crater, to Auckland Mayor Phil Goff. 28 April 2017 New Zealand Herald Photograph by Jason Oxenham.
O'Reilly's artistic impressions revealed last week focused on a waterfront location, though he said the same concept could be transplanted to solid ground instead.
Engineering expert Birchall said creating a safe waterfront concept would be absolutely possible - but expensive.
However, he also said the cost of a executing the same concept on land would be far less expensive than building a traditional stadium above ground - making "The Crater" a solid contender should Auckland Council's upcoming decision on stadium strategy side with a new start.
"If you were to build a venue like that, not in the water but on land, and it didn't have a roof on it like an open-air coliseum, a relatively modern stadium built that way, you could probably do for £3000-£5000 per seat ($NZ5640-$NZ9400).
"A 50,000-seat stadium, normally, would cost upwards of £5000-£8000 (NZ$9400-NZ$15,500) per seat in the UK market.
"Building the crater on land is demonstrably the less expensive way of doing it. If you could do it at the lower end, of £3000 per seat for a stadium of 50,000 capacity, that's almost unheard of. It's still at least £150m (NZ$281m)."
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has previously said Auckland could not afford a white elephant, adding the 50,000-seat Eden Park was limited to 21 night events and could need another $250 million spent on it over the next 15 years.
The All Blacks walk out at London Olympic Stadium during the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Photo / Brett Phibbs
BuroHappold Engineering has not been the only interest in "The Crater" since last week's report either, with Auckland-based engineering consultants ENGEO also contacting O'Reilly over his project.
Senior project manager and geotechnical engineer, David Brodie, confirmed his company was also keen to talk with O'Reilly.
"ENGEO has been in contact with the designer involved and have expressed interest in helping him realise the dream of bringing The Crater to Auckland," Brodie said.
In March last year, rich-lister and Warriors owner Eric Watson pledged to invest in a new stadium for Downtown Auckland, saying "I believe in the benefits for Auckland".
He also revealed he would tap into his business networks "where possible" to find other potential financial backers.
Last week Watson welcomed O'Reilly's crater concept, as he eagerly awaits council's upcoming on future stadium strategy. That document, which is being prepared by global accounting and advisory firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, should be on the desk of mayor Phil Goff over the next two months.
O'Reilly said he's thrilled by the reaction from industry experts and the Kiwi public.
Over 13,000 people voted in an online Herald poll last week on whether Auckland should build a new waterfront stadium - with more than 10,000 votes in favour.
A spokesman for Goff's office said last week "while the Mayor appreciates being contacted, he doesn't believe the Crater concept is a practical solution for Auckland".
When asked for comment on the interest of heavyeight firm BuroHappold Engineering on Friday afternoon, a spokeswoman for Goff's office said the mayor was in meetings and not available for comment.
