Arup to Lead Brisbane Games Victoria Park Masterplan

Global design and engineering consultancy Arup has been appointed as principal contractor for a pivotal infrastructure project for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.

Arup will lead the team responsible for delivering Brisbane’s Victoria Park Precinct masterplan, which includes the Brisbane Showgrounds and the National Aquatic Centre.

The appointment is the next step in the transformation of the 64ha inner-Brisbane site into one of the city’s largest new urban parklands and covers urban design, engineering, transport planning, sustainability and stakeholder engagement.

The project will reimagine the former golf course, with a focus on creating new open space, cultural facilities, sport and recreation assets, and community infrastructure.

The announcement comes a week after the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA) opened expressions of interest for principal architects for Brisbane Stadium and the National Aquatic Centre.  

During the 2032 Games, the precinct and stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies within walking distance of the Brisbane Athletes Village, accommodating more than 10,000 athletes and officials during the Olympic Games and more than 5000 during the Paralympic Games.

The first phase of the detailed masterplanning process for the Victoria Park Precinct is the development of the Infrastructure Structure Plan.

It will include technical site investigations, planning and design of the major pieces of connectivity and public realm infrastructure to support infrastructure delivery and ensure visitors can move seamlessly around the precinct. 

The state government said it would also focus on “world-class and iconic public and green spaces, improving connectivity, and creating seamless experiences for the thousands expected to enjoy the precinct during and long after the Games”.  

“The government is working closely with the Brisbane City Council, the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA), and other key stakeholders to ensure integrated design outcomes across the precinct,” it said.  

▲ A concept rendering of the aquatic centre, which is included in the Victoria Park Precinct masterplan.

Arup project director Penny Hall said this precinct would be a world-class hub for recreation, events and entertainment and lifestyle.  

“Our track record includes working hand-in-hand with communities, partners and government, having helped deliver not only a world-class Olympic and Paralympic Games in London but also a lasting legacy that continues to thrive nearly 15 years later,” she said. 

“Our local and global experience partnering with host cities reaches from the Sydney 2000 Games through to Paris more recently [and] has been focused on masterplanning with a once-in-a-generation lens that the Queensland Government’s vision for the [precinct] also demands.” 

Arup was one of 20 groups to file expressions of interest for the masterplan with the state.