DUNDEDIN - Forsyth Barr Stadium (30,000) - 2011 Rugby World Cup

[piles]

http://www.carisbrook.org.nz/index.html

The Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza will be New Zealand's largest indoor arena with the capacity for more than 30,000 avid fans.

The multipurpose, fully-roofed venue will be capable of hosting a wide range of music, entertainment, cultural and sporting events.

Planned for completion by 2011, construction is already underway on site.

Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza is set to become the southern showcase for passion and excitement.

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http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a238/kid_from_owl/Leith1.jpg

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The plan is to have the stadium completed in time for the Rugby World Cup in September 2011, work started at the end of June. If the stadium is not completed in time, Dunedin's games will be held at the aging Carisbrook as pictured below.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a238/kid_from_owl/carisbrook1.jpg

[bing222]

Cool stadium and photos

[piles]

^^ Thanks Bing! Off topic, but is that the Silverdome Wrestlemania III crowd in your avatar?

[SSE]

Better have a high roof if South Africa are going to play any games there. Francois Steyn will just see it as a challenge for his right boot!

Looks a cool stadium though. I've always thought Carisbrook was a great old ground, nice to see it being replaced with something equally unique.

[aus16]

i think this design is monumental but the only problem i have with it is that it appears that there is no way they can add seats to it

[piles]

^^ Yeah, adding extra seating would be tricky, but Dunedin does only have a population of 120,000 odd.

[NMAISTER007]

So this will also be a football stadium? Not just a rugby stadium?

[piles]

Yep, will be fine for all rectangle field sports.

[CharlieP]

So this will also be a football stadium? Not just a rugby stadium?

You can fit a soccer pitch in any international rugby stadium, but I can't see it being used for soccer much, if at all.

[Benn]

That is pretty fantastic, I really like the modular end idea for concert stage and basketball use. Its nice to keep big venues in use year round.

[SSE]

i think this design is monumental but the only problem i have with it is that it appears that there is no way they can add seats to it

I can't really imagine any situation where that will really be necessary.

[KingmanIII]

Whoa...this is top-notch! :cool:

[KingmanIII]

i think this design is monumental but the only problem i have with it is that it appears that there is no way they can add seats to it
This stadium will seat nearly 1/4th of the city of Dunedin.

South Island is a fairly sparsely-populated place.

[bing222]

Yes it is piles I love massive crowds in one venue

[SYDNEY]

It is awesome and a huge feat for such a small city such as Dunedin :) Gr8 thread Piles ...

[mvictory]

nice stadium. is there any chance of an a league club starting there?

[UglyBob]

nice stadium. is there any chance of an a league club starting there?

NZ Warriors in the NRL has indicated a willingness to play exhibition games; so too has the Wellington Phoenix, NZ's soccer team in Australia's A League. Main sporting use is for the Highlanders Super 14 rugby franchise and the Otago provincial rugby team in the Air NZ Cup (as well as international rugby tests)...

[piles]

It is awesome and a huge feat for such a small city such as Dunedin :) Gr8 thread Piles ... Thanks Syd :cheers:

[piles]

Better have a high roof if South Africa are going to play any games there. Francois Steyn will just see it as a challenge for his right boot!

According to the Otago Daily Times the lowest part of the roof will be 30 metres and the highest part 35 metres. The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff has a roof height of 33 metres.

[darkhorse09]

This will be an awesome indoor stadium once completed. The first real indoor arena 30k stadium in NZ. Good on Dunedin for it's vision. Maybe it should be called Hydroponic Arena - where history will be made and grown!! :)

[Spaner]

Interesting design.

[darkhorse09]

www.3news.co.nz/Construction-of-Dunedins-new-stadium-underway/tabid/367/articleID/116221/cat/70/Default.aspx

[No1_Saint]

Will be the best NZ stadium for the Rugby World Cup 2011. AMI Stadium in Christchurch is OK, Wellington is great...but Auckland will be a big old mess.

[UglyBob]

Local Dunedin television story on construction progress:

Forsyth Barr Stadium developing according to schedule
Channel 9 TV August 19, 2009 - 6:47pm

Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza is developing according to schedule at the Awatea Street site.
See story (http://www.ch9.co.nz/content/forsyth-barr-stadium-developing-according-schedule)

[UglyBob]

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj118/UglyBobNZ/FBStadium23Oct09.jpg

[Mo Rush]

:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:

[UglyBob]

From 4 and 5 November 2009

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[No1_Saint]

Wow...that's going up a lot quicker than I expected. Awesome.

I just hope that it doesn't become a white elephant for the city.

[Mo Rush]

It has a roof and can therefore double up as an exhibition centre, indoor arena. The roof provides an array of options.

[UglyBob]

Good progress on the South Stand ...

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj118/UglyBobNZ/FBStadiumwebcam29November2009.jpg

[No1_Saint]

It has a roof and can therefore double up as an exhibition centre, indoor arena. The roof provides an array of options.

It is unusable as an exhibition space. Grass in those types of environments are notoriously difficult to maintain all season. You just have to look at Etihad stadium in Melbourne to see the issues. Large levels of foot traffic on there outside the sports traffic could be highly damaging.

Even with the translucent roof, there are issues surrounding air flow and watering. The only successful indoor pitches are fully retractable like the Sapporo Dome in Japan.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Sapporo_Dome_moving_pitchjpg.jpg

[UglyBob]

Due for the roof to start going on in April 2010 ...

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj118/UglyBobNZ/FBS24Jan10.jpg

[Snorky33]

It has a roof and can therefore double up as an exhibition centre, indoor arena. The roof provides an array of options.

Absolutely right:yes: it's a multi purpose arena more than being a football stadium...i remember reading during that pathetic debate some loser saying quote: "It'll just be a shine to rugby" that more or less describes the intelligence of the that anti-stadium lot:nuts: well done Dunedin:applause: for having the vision in building what will be NZ's best stadium by far:okay: and for standing up to that unbelievably narrow minded lobby group:crazy2:...which sadly NZ seems to be cursed with an over supply of.

[UglyBob]

More official construction photos on the Forsyth Barr Stadium Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=137853&id=148971844698