Something like this would be nice:

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/9314/swedbankarena1.jpg

Imagine that the roof is not retractable - surely that's enough for Christchurch?

All seats would be covered, although some in the front may get a little wet in the rain. And it is fully enclosed, so no issues with biting winds passing through.

Lets hope the rectangular stadium has corner seating like above. If there is one poor aspect of FBS's design, its the ends of the main stands - it means turning your head 45 degrees for most of the game.

http://images.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz_images/sport2011/rugby/world_cup/stadiums/forsyth_barr_inside_2.jpg

There are plenty of great examples of stadiums here in England, all seated, all covered, all enclosed. Surely something like these could be replicated on the cheap.

Reebok Stadium, Bolton
http://imagecache.soccerway.com/venues/600x450/94.jpg

Stadium of Light, Sunderland
http://www.safc.com/javaImages/74/7/0,,10281~6555508,00.gif

Etihad Stadium, Manchester
http://football-talk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Etihad-Stadium-Man-City-e1326297756462-452x340.jpg

Reebok is still a little exposed for my liking, but nothing bigger roofs wouldn't fix. Great view of the pitch.

Stadium of light is an interesting one in that it has an upper tier at one end that would allow flexibility. If you know you are only going to sell about (say)25,000, then you fill the bottom tier closest to the pitch. You open up the upper tier for bigger matches. But there would need to be a tier at both ends - otherwise you get this mash-mash of stands that exists with EP and Jade.

Etihad - wouldn't turn it down, though I don't think its as good as other grounds in Europe where the stands are much steeper, giving everyone a better view, even from the nosebleeds, like at Juventus (capacity only 41,000):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Coreografia_Juventus_Stadium.jpg/700px-Coreografia_Juventus_Stadium.jpg

Practically sitting over top of the players. Awesome.

The second tier at the stadium of light would be a shocker for rugby. Interior = stadion miejski 1 tier no bullshit and the exterior of the omnilife stadium to fit in with that garden city crap.

Hey guys, I have some images of the Addington ground. I have been to two games so far and the open day and find it a much better ground than the old.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7240564788_ddeef0c779_z.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5331/7240564906_21925a0dec_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7086/7240565088_88fc167f0c_z.jpg

Home Changing room
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5032/7240565222_bf4d769758_z.jpg

Away Changing room
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7240565344_b8543fc78b_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7219/7240565480_42c7d907f9_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7094/7240565638_a46e18d041_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7083/7240565810_9e25c8094d_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7240/7240565990_4be7a08d1d_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7240566168_20787922a9_z.jpg

A corporate box
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7240566300_6461c4c838_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7103/7240566472_327e683493_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7096/7240566654_9bd10435a4_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/7240566898_0114800c89_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7083/7240567094_6fefd7dfe5_z.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8026/7240567220_4309bd84b0_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7086/7240565088_88fc167f0c_b.jpg

Looks awesome. They just built a new stadium here in Houston for the Houston Dynamo of the MLS. It's a soccer specific stadium but great example of a realistic option for Christchurch. See the link.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/BBVA_Compass_Stadium_Inaugural_Goal_Celebration.jpg

Some renderings of the AMI Stadium, all for you guys! :)


http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n634/ItalicSiciliano/1-6.jpg


http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n634/ItalicSiciliano/2-6.jpg


http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n634/ItalicSiciliano/3-5.jpg


http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n634/ItalicSiciliano/4-5.jpg


http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n634/ItalicSiciliano/5-5.jpg


http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n634/ItalicSiciliano/6-4.jpg


http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n634/ItalicSiciliano/7-4.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/milanluka/CHC%20AMI%20Stadium/141.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/milanluka/CHC%20AMI%20Stadium/132.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/milanluka/CHC%20AMI%20Stadium/205.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/milanluka/CHC%20AMI%20Stadium/135.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/milanluka/CHC%20AMI%20Stadium/134.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/milanluka/CHC%20AMI%20Stadium/219.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/milanluka/CHC%20AMI%20Stadium/229.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/milanluka/CHC%20AMI%20Stadium/153.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/milanluka/CHC%20AMI%20Stadium/147-1.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll10/milanluka/CHC%20AMI%20Stadium/212.jpg[/QUOTE]

From belted on Flickr:

http://s13.postimage.org/tpiw1drjb/7805188254_90f0580c2c_b.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51025543@N06/7805188254/

AMI Stadium rebuild may win out

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10840979

By Kurt Bayer KurtBayerAPNZ Email Kurt 5:30 AM Wednesday Oct 17, 2012

The grandstands at Christchurch's AMI Stadium can be fixed. Photo / Geoff Sloan Quake-rocked AMI Stadium in Christchurch could be repaired for $45 million, which will sink plans for a $500 million covered sports stadium in the city.

International geotechnical engineering experts have scoured the two hulking concrete grandstands that were damaged by the September 2010 and February 2011 earthquakes, and have found they can be cheaply fixed.

The stadium, on Christchurch's most famous sporting site, could be returned to its pre-quake specifications for "much less" than its $135 million insurance tag, they have concluded.

But the international ground's owners, Christchurch City Council, were yesterday in the dark over the move, as was the Canterbury Rugby Football Union (CRFU), who have been pushing hard for a world-class covered stadium in the rebuilding city.

CRFU chief executive Hamish Riach said that if AMI Stadium was rebuilt, plans for a stadium with a roof would be shelved.

A covered 35,000-seat stadium was included in the Christchurch Central Development Unit (CCDU) central city recovery blueprint announced for the former Turners & Growers site in Tuam St.

Article continues below

Before the blueprint announcement, which was roundly supported by the Canterbury rugby fraternity despite the massive expected half-billion dollar price-tag, the council had this year aired a preferance for a smaller, cheaper uncovered stadium.

The city council's insurance policy states that a repair or rebuild must be done to the exact standards AMI Stadium was before the quakes.

It looks likely that the city council will come under pressure to accept a plan by its insurers, local government-owned Civic Assurance, to repair the existing dual-purpose ground.

"We've had it reviewed ... some external engineers have gone through it and we're of the view that it can be repaired well within the sum it's insured for," said Civic Assurance chief executive Tim Sole yesterday. Christchurch City Council was yet to be told of the "repair methodology", he said. APNZ

The Press - http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/7830654/Claims-Lancaster-Park-is-fixable-rejected

http://static.stuff.co.nz/1348832472/696/7745696.jpg

Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and the Christchurch City Council have both poured cold water on suggestions Lancaster Park could be repaired.

Reports yesterday suggested engineering work commissioned by insurer Civic Assurance revealed the former AMI Stadium could be fixed for $45 million.

A repair could sink plans for a $500m covered sports stadium in the city.

However, the council moved to dismiss the suggestions.

Corporate services general manager Paul Anderson said he had seen no evidence the stadium could be saved.

"I think all insurers would say that they think it's repairable for within the sum insured. The advice we've had all indicates that to repair the stadium to as-new condition, which is what our policy allows, would cost more than the sum insured," he said.

Brownlee backed the council. He said Civic's view was "counter to all the information that's been out publicly up to this point".

"The insurers clearly would have a very difficult job of convincing the public that it can be made safe. The steward of the stadium, which is the Christchurch City Council, would need to be equally persuaded that it can be made safe," he said.

Any repair methodology would require Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority consideration, Brownlee said.

In April, the council released six options for repair or replacement, which ranged in cost from $49.6m after insurance to $144.6m.

The report said the method proposed for repairing the ground under the stands was untested and the cost did not justify the risk.

Civic Assurance chief executive Tim Sole did not return calls from The Press but earlier told The Star the ground could be returned to its pre-quake specifications for much less than its $135m insurance tag.

"The grounds looks terrible but you have to ignore that. The bulk of the stadium looks fine and you need someone to tell you it's not quite at the same level it was before," he said.

No exact repair figure had been decided, Sole said.

"There is no number provided, they've just said it can be repaired below the cost of the sum insured, and there's much more work to do. It's a big project, building or repairing a stadium," he later said on radio.

A covered 35,000-seat stadium on the former Turners and Growers site in Tuam St was included in the Christchurch Central Development Unit (CCDU) blueprint announced in July.

But a CCDU spokeswoman said the stadium was not a priority project.

"The design, cost and funding model is still to be worked through by the parties involved in the project, with the indicative schedule for it to be completed in 2017," she said.

Wider Earthquake Communities Action Network spokesman Mike Coleman said repairing Lancaster Park would be "outstanding".

"Let [Civic] rebuild it and get it sorted," he said. "We're in the beginning of recovery of the city, so the last thing you'd ever go near is a covered stadium, particularly one that's going to cost $550m.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to take pressure off ratepayers."

Canterbury Rugby Football Union chief executive Hamish Riach, who pushed for a covered stadium, said that plan would be shelved if Lancaster Park was repaired.

"The design, cost and funding model is still to be worked through by the parties involved in the project, with the indicative schedule for it to be completed in 2017," she said."

Just in time for the Lion's tour.....

WhileI hope its bowled in favour of a new stadium, if it is repaired, let's hope they do something about the ends - i.e. enclose the ground.