How do you build a cheap stadium?

[Silent Alarm]

I've always been curious about this.

People say Metricon's outer amenities keep things cheap. Obviously roofs need a bit of cash. But what are the smaller details that make a stadium cheap, rather than a cheap stadium? Less steps? Steep or steady inclinations? The positions of the entrances or exits?

Anyone know?

 

[brisbane13]

Metricon stadium still cost 130 odd million to make from memory, they aint cheap to build. but the warmer climate on the Gold Coast allowed some of the outer amenities to be skipped, if a stadium like metricon was to be built down south in a colder climate it wouldn't work

 

[Commando]

Metricon wasn't really built, more of a major renovation, surely means less costs.

 

[Admiral Byng]

Cheapest stadium would be single tier as much as possible. Building multi-storey adds hugely to the cost.

 

[seanoff]

I've always been curious about this.

People say Metricon's outer amenities keep things cheap. Obviously roofs need a bit of cash. But what are the smaller details that make a stadium cheap, rather than a cheap stadium? Less steps? Steep or steady inclinations? The positions of the entrances or exits?

Anyone know?

compare metricon to say the MCG.

the Northern stand cost $550M or about 10k / seat, which is pretty standard for large, signature stadiums (a bit more now obviously) but it has.
underground car parking,
indoor cricket nets,
dining facilities for 1000 people +, really opulent dining facilites esp in the members go and find a photo on mcc.org.au
the kitchens for these dining rooms are huge and expensive
any number of corporate boxes,
expensively fitted out bars on multiple levels
escalators
glass exterior
offices
a sports museum
blah blah blah.

Metricon
the big 2/3 on the way around stand is empty underneath
all the toilets, food and beverage is outside of the structure.
there are no expensively fitted bars, dining rooms, kitchens, escalators, there is no exterior on most of the ground.
apart from that bit on the broadcast wing it is quite basically, structure and seats.

a bit like the difference between building a basic shed with no interior finishes and building a house which has interior walls, insulation, lots of fittings, lights, carpets, tiles, glass etc.

http://populous.com/project/melbourne-cricket-ground/

http://populous.com/project/metricon-stadium/

compare slide 1 of Metricon with slide 2 of the MCG. there is not much finish of note under that stand at metricon, the have a peek at slide 2 of the MCG. mmmm you can work out where the money has gone

 

[wedgetail]

Find a sandy site and dig an enormous hole. Use the spoil to raise a banked concourse. Line with concrete.

Get Rocla Quarries or McMahon as naming sponsor.

 

[Rob]

You also have to ensure that your cheap stadium is also cheap to run. By that I mean that it's easy to clean (so less cleaning costs), not too many gates, ticket offices and other amenities like toilets and to make sure it's energy efficient. Almost inevitably that's going to lessen the spectator experience with more queues, in a lot of cases that's why the money is spent in the first place on a decent venue.

 

[Bacon Warrior]

I would assume temporary stands and amenities would be the way to go if you want a cheap stadium.

 

[schnoods]

457 visa workers!

But seriously, i would be looking at having a stadium that is multifunctional eg concerts, etc to be looking at recouping costs rather than skimp or have to have ongoing renovations blocked off construction is the same as having empty seats.

I think there are ways of making them cheaper/cost effective to build, but generally might seem plain and take away a bit of the polish.

 

[footscore]

those NRL stadiums around the country look like s**t.
I know crowds are significantly lower for that sporting code in general but they all look cheap as hell.

 

[Silent Alarm]

those NRL stadiums around the country look like s**t.
I know crowds are significantly lower for that sporting code in general but they all look cheap as hell.

Cronulla's Toyota Stadium looks pretty dingy. That main grandstand is probably the antithesis of a well combined spectator, TV, and corporate facility. That drags the whole place down.

WIN Jubilee Oval seems cheap enough to build. By the looks, half of it seems... uh.. half grass. Could you took away the second tier of the grandstand?

It does look really soulless, though. Probably due to the grey seats. I mean, NIB or AAMI would look infinitely more stock without the bright green. Surely they could've gone red? The red actually makes a huge difference to the concourse as well. The bottom picture actually makes it seem... inhabited. Otherwise, I get some pretty heavy Vic Park-vibes.

http://www.austadiums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2708&start=300

I like Centrebet Stadium in Penrifff, too. It probably shows the liveliness that red seats give a ground. What's weird is that grey would probably suit the Panthers more. Don't they wear black with licks of 80s teal and pink?

Love the exterior as well. For what is is, a boutique ground for one club, it's actually pretty smart and individual. It definitely beats every other suburban-ground facade in the NRL.

 

[Luigi742]

From experience Shark Park is a pretty dingy ground, that's the only suburban NRL ground I've been to though so can't really comment on the others.

 

[mcgarnacle]

457 visa workers!

if you could extend this to every phase of material production too, then a stadium can be built cheap.

the big cost for any project is the labour cost right through the chain.

lots of whingers and whiners in this country when it comes to the day to day, but wages are fairly ******* high here and it basically filters into the cost of everything.

 

[Pessimistic]

Whatever the measure, docklands stadium was a huge rip off at $450 mill in 2000

 

[seanoff]

Whatever the measure, docklands stadium was a huge rip off at $450 mill in 2000

Zee roof. Moveable roof adds about 1/3 to the cost. Will try to track down the cambridge study.

 

[Zod_16]

Whatever the measure, docklands stadium was a huge rip off at $450 mill in 2000

Not sure that it was really, roof means that it can be used all throughout winter for whatever sport. Use it for concerts, sporting events festival things. Close vicinity to the city, train stations, freeways out of the city means its easy to get to. Great facilities and access to food and drink. Personally I don't like it but it must be great for families that would go every now and then. The money must be rolling in

 

[Silent Alarm]

To be honest, half a billion dollars is really good for a 50,000 seat stadium. With a roof. In the middle of the city.

 

[Rob]

To be honest, half a billion dollars is really good for a 50,000 seat stadium. With a roof. In the middle of the city.

It is now. 13 years ago it was a massive amount.

 

[Scotland]

The Perth stadium will end up costing 3 times as much and won't be as good, so it's not all bad.

 

[Pessimistic]

Not sure that it was really, roof means that it can be used all throughout winter for whatever sport. Use it for concerts, sporting events festival things. Close vicinity to the city, train stations, freeways out of the city means its easy to get to. Great facilities and access to food and drink. Personally I don't like it but it must be great for families that would go every now and then. The money must be rolling in

Until someone got real about the costs of maintaining grass under a roof and the projections were literally toilet paper. Those concerts etc didnt cover the shortfall and there was a big write down

it wasnt that no one knew that, they did, but the buyers (Jeff kennnett, the investors, the AFL) were sucked in bigtime.

And they criticize Andy D today ? genius compared to his predecessors

 

[00Stinger]

Get in foreign workers who don't want $40+ an hour, plus site allowances, RDO's, double pay for overtime and refuse to work once it gets a little warm or there is a sprinkle of rain for starters

 

[Furn2]

Wembley cost a billion pounds about $1.6billion so Docklands wasn't too bad.

 

[Luigi742]

Get in foreign workers who don't want $40+ an hour, plus site allowances, RDO's, double pay for overtime and refuse to work once it gets a little warm or there is a sprinkle of rain for starters

You've obviously got no clue what actually happens in construction when you spout out bullshit like that.

 

[KissKiss]

How much did AAMI Park cost to make? That is about the last stadium I can think of that was built from scratch.

 

[00Stinger]

You've obviously got no clue what actually happens in construction when you spout out bullshit like that.

I've worked in finance in construction companies over the years and seen the massive effect on the bottom line from exuberant wages of tradesman/labourers. It amazes me the money wages chew up, especially for some of the guys who don't have a trade.

I could go on and you could respond and we could go around in circles for ages on the matter, but I don't think this thread is the place.

FWIW the reference to getting in foreign workers was meant as tongue in cheek