AMATEUR SPORTS

By Erin Peterson

Building facilities for the Olympics requires short-term planning and long-range vision.

Twenty minutes east of downtown vision screens: the opening ceremonies change the way the world thinks about Sydney, an astonishing metal structure of the 2000 Olympic Games. Two weeks the intersecting concerns of development arches over the landscape. Towering later, on October 1, the Games will sign and environmental protection and nearly 14 stories over its predominantly off with similar fanfare. renewal. Known as Homebush Bay, this flat surroundings, it provides a breath- While almost everything about the 1,900-acre section of land is being touted taking introduction to the largest nearly finished stadium is grand (includ- as a model for future developments. While Olympic Stadium ever built. On Septem- ing its $448 million price tag), it is just one it isn’t the only location for Olympic ber 15 next year, 110,000 people will fill small piece in a renovation and construc- events, it is easily the Games’ most recog- Stadium Australia to see, in person, what tion project of magnificent scope. Olympic nizable site, featuring the highest concen- 4.5 billion others will watch on their tele- officials believe it has the potential to tration of sports facilities in Sydney.

42 ATHLETIC BUSINESS May 1999 Traveling by rail or road, the State Hockey Centre is one of the first sights forfor visitorsvisitors toto HomebushHomebush Bay.Bay.

Photos by Bob Peters/Highlight Studios, courtesy of the Olympic Co-ordination Authority Here’s what Sydney’s got in store for the 2000 Games — and beyond.

Home to more than a dozen major meters of industrial and household cessful bid for the Olympics helped sports venues, comfy hotels and a new waste that had accumulated over a 30- speed up the construction process, it solar-powered suburb for 6,000 residents year span of uncontrolled dumping. was already underway by the time they after the Games, Homebush Bay invokes “It was an eyesore,” acknowledges heard the good news in 1993. a “gee whiz” response in nearly everyone Sandie Watson, manager of international The prospect of a completely new who visits it. media relations for the Olympic Co-ordi- development devoted almost entirely to It’s difficult to believe that just 15 nation Authority. “It was a degraded site athletic and recreation facilities is years ago, the area was little more than a that nobody wanted. We wanted to put uncommon, and gave Sydney the oppor- colossal landfill, home to a slaughter- something in place that people could use tunity to set a powerful precedent. house, a brickworks and 9 million cubic for many years.” Although Sydney’s suc- Unlike Los Angeles, where no new facili-

May 1999 ATHLETIC BUSINESS 43 ties were built preceding the ’84 Games, or even Atlanta, where 10 new facilities were built prior to the ’96 Olympics, Sydney has started fresh with almost everything. Knowing of the gigantic proj- ect that lay ahead, as well as the ecologi- cally degraded site with which they started, Sydney placed utmost priority on creating an environmentally friendly site. While other Olympic hosts have done a great deal to preserve and pro- s far-reaching and idealistic as Sydney’s approach to tect the environment — Barcelona Ahosting the Olympic Games is, Atlanta’s was strik- cleaned its harbor, Lillehammer pro- ingly pragmatic. With a construction budget of about one- tected trees and marshes and Nagano third of Sydney’s total and a whole host of facilities that were either temporary or renovated solely for the Games, Atlanta took great guarded meadows of butterflies — none pains to ensure that the city would not be left with gargantuan facilities with no really compare to Sydney. From the one to use them, and more important, no one to foot the bill for keeping them beginning of facility construction until operational. long after the Games are over, Sydney’s To that end, Atlanta worked with colleges, universities and professional commitment to environmentally sound, sports teams to make certain that every facility would continue to be well-used accessible facilities and practices has even after the Games left town. If the future success of a particular venue was been assured; all projects are guided by in doubt, it was built as a temporary facility or scaled back from original plans. the concept of Ecologically Sustainable Among the venues built solely for the two-week period that summer were the Development (ESD). Among the tenets water polo pool, the cycling velodrome, the archery venue and yachting facili- of ESD are conserving and protecting ties. Ten other facilities were already in place but received Olympic overlays to plant and animal species, conserving accommodate the Games, much of it in the form of extra seating or additional resources and controlling pollution. amenities for a more spectator-friendly experience. This event-centered It was this philosophy that helped Syd- approach proved to be reasonably successful for the particular needs of ney land the Games in the first place — a Atlanta. The Olympic Stadium, for example, has found a comfortable home as commitment to something much larger Turner Field, the new baseball stadium for the Braves; the continued success than a single event. Sydney has, in fact, of the team has ensured that few seats go empty on any given game day. dubbed its Olympics “The Green Still, some gripe privately that the hurried construction made for facilities that Games,” and has enlisted the help of haven’t held up as well as they should. But you won’t hear Bill Miller complaining. Miller, manager of capital con- environmentalists to act as watchdogs struction projects at Georgia Tech and the school’s director of Olympic plan- during their construction efforts leading ning during the Games, says that his experience was overwhelmingly positive. up to the Games. “We don’t want to Tech was a major recipient of facilities, which included the aquatic center, a become complacent,” says Watson. “We warmup track and major renovations to its basketball venue that, for the want to make sure that we are keeping Games, was home to boxing matches. The school also boasts 4,700 new our promises and are providing things dorm rooms, which housed nearly 10,000 athletes during the Olympics. for the long-term future.” With that in “The renovations have held up well,” Miller says. “The track has held up mind, it’s somewhat less surprising to great and has been good for our athletes. And the basketball coliseum helps see the lengths the Olympic Co-ordina- us recruit athletes because it’s such a nice facility.” Interestingly enough, one tion Authority has gone to ensure top- of the most spectacular facilities of the Games, the aquatic center, hasn’t notch facilities without a lot of waste. necessarily been a boon for the college — at least, not yet. “The aquatic cen- To start, the OCA has tried to make ter is a beautiful facility, but because it’s not enclosed, we still don’t have a sure that an “out with the old, in with the facility we can use for NCAA swimming or to hold swimming meets, since new” approach does not always apply lit- most of them are held in the wintertime.” Tech is spending $47 million to erally. For example, when a slaughter- enclose the aquatic center and add recreation space. house based in Homebush Bay was New dorm spaces have consistently been filled, which Miller believes has demolished to make room for venues, had a positive impact on the school. “We have fewer commuters, and a higher population to service for dining and things like that. Before the Olympics, there more than 200,000 cubic meters of the were a lot of students out there who wanted to live on campus but couldn’t. concrete and masonry rubble were So it’s been a very good thing.” reused at the site. Forty thousand cubic Clark Atlanta University was also a major recipient of Olympic facilities, meters of earth excavated from various including a hockey stadium (converted to a football stadium after the Games), sites during construction have been several tennis courts, a practice softball field and a renovated baseball field. used for landscaped embankments at The school was also the recipient of the Olympic track, which was moved to the Athletic Centre. During the construc- the site after the Olympic Stadium was converted to house the Braves. tion of the Sydney Showground, the Richard Cosby, Clark Atlanta’s athletic director, says the problems he’s had waste recycling rate was an astounding are ones that any AD would envy. 94 percent. Overall construction recy- “The challenge has been how not to have the facilities overused,” Cosby cling efforts have been estimated to be says. “It has had the most profoundly positive impact on our athletic program. between 60 and 70 percent. We simply didn’t have the facilities before.” The football stadium remains pop- The facilities themselves were also ular, he says, and the track has between 100 and 200 users on a daily basis. kept under strict watch. According to Beyond a few leaks in the stadium and some business left unfinished at the Michael Knight, president of the Sydney conclusion of the Games, Cosby says he couldn’t be happier. “They did at Organising Committee, “Contractors are least 85 percent of what they said they’d do. Everything has been on the required to adhere to strict environmen- upside,” he says. That’s not to say his wish list was totally fulfilled. “If we could do it again, I tal plans, which address concerns such guess we’d like a few more things,” muses Cosby. “I hope they come back as pollution reduction, protection of exist- here for next Olympics.” — E.P. ing woodlands, controlling construction noise and limiting sedimentary runoff.”

44 ATHLETIC BUSINESS May 1999 While some adaptations were made throughout the facilities — emphasizing extensive water reclamation strategies, for one, and using timber only from sus- tainable forests — some facilities’ archi- tects had greater opportunities to take advantage of new technologies and inno- vations. The Aquatic Centre, for example, uses enough natural lighting in the facility to require only 10 artificial light fixtures during the day. Air conditioning is lim- ited to spectator areas and restaurants. The Sydney Showground relies entirely on natural lighting during the day and uses movement-activated light fixtures “We don’t want to become complacent. We want to make sure that we are keeping our promises and are providing things for the CIRCLE 42 ON REPLY CARD long-term future.” to limit light usage at night. The Olympic Village will use solar power to generate all of its energy needs — after the Games, it will become the largest solar- powered suburb in the world. It’s fairly evident that Sydney will be at the forefront with its environmental inno- vations, but the city also hopes to become a leader with regard to accessi- bility as well. Homebush Bay’s unique situation as a new, self-contained develop- ment makes it particularly suited to accessibility, since features were inte- grated throughout the entire develop- ment at the planning stage. An access committee, comprised of planners and people with a variety of different disabili- ties, was formed at the outset to ensure the most user-friendly design for the greatest number of people. Well-distrib- uted lifts, ramps, assistive hearing sys- tems, tactile ground surface indicators, accessible toilets and TTY phone sys- tems have received praise from many. Says Watson, “We’ve made sure you can go from every venue on the site without using one set of stairs. And the railway station is the most accessible railway sta- tion in Sydney.” Then again, one would hope the railway station would be acces- sible; it is one of the only ways to get to

CIRCLE 43 ON REPLY CARD May 1999 ATHLETIC BUSINESS 45 Homebush Bay. As part of its environ- mental vision, Homebush Bay will not have acres of parking for gas-guzzling cars; in fact, for the Games, parking will remain at fewer than 4,000 total spaces. Parking will triple after the Games, but officials want to maintain an emphasis on public transportation. During the Olympics, buses and trains will arrive every few minutes to pick up and drop off visitors to Homebush Bay. Even after the frenzy dies down, those at Homebush Bay are counting on buses, trains and the occasial ferry to provide the main meth- ods of transport around the area.

The focus on environmental and acces- sibility issues occasionally overshadows the fact that many of these facilities are aesthetically stunning. Take, for example, the Olympic Stadium, the centerpiece of the Games. The huge facility is flanked by four major arches — two on each side of the venue, angled to outline spectator seating areas. Dozens of 10-by-10-meter translucent polycarbonate tiles span each of the two arches, providing shade for spectators while allowing for the growth of turf on the inside of the venue. Flexible seating allows the facility to reconfigure for special events, and restaurants are situated so that diners don’t have to miss a minute of the action. The State Hockey Center features a CIRCLE 44 ON REPLY CARD similarly spectacular appearance. The grandstand’s gracefully curved roof is one of the first things people will see when they enter Homebush Bay. Its cre- ators liken it to a sail plane suspended in space — 25 meters above the concourse itself. Four sharply angled light towers may look like they were installed by an abstract artist or a construction crew with a whimsical sense of humor, but designers say it makes for less peripheral light and better television broadcasts. One of the few venues with American architects providing major project sup- port is the Sydney SuperDome, in which the Kansas City, Mo.-based architects Devine de Flon Yaeger teamed with the Australian group Cox Richardson Archi- tects to create a five-level, 20,000-seat indoor dome used for basketball and artistic gymnastics during the Games. A cable-stayed roof allows for a column- free interior, and it features the largest rooftop solar power system in Australia. It is expected to use 100 percent renew- able energy resources. Wary of Atlanta’s last-minute scram- bling in 1996, the Sydney Organising Committee has taken extra care to make sure there’s plenty of time to test out the new facilities and fix any glitches well before Olympians take the stage. At Homebush Bay, all but two of the facili- ties have been completed. These two — the Tennis Centre and Sydney Super- Dome — are expected to be completed

CIRCLE 45 ON REPLY CARD 46 ATHLETIC BUSINESS May 1999 by the end of the year. Four facilities in other locations have yet to be com- pleted, but the latest updates indicate that all facilities will be ready for compe- tition by early 2000. But it all comes at a cost. While many of the projects have proceeded at or ahead of schedule, the latest statistics show that construction is nearly four percent over budget. While inflation is primarily to blame, four percent of a gar- gantuan $1.42 billion budget comes to a whopping $47 million. Funding is coming from a variety of sources, including the Sydney Organising Committee, but the bulk of the project — more than three quarters of the total — will be funded by The focuson environmentaland accessiblityissues occasionallyovershadows thefactthatmanyof thefacilitiesare CIRCLE 46 ON REPLY CARD aestheticallystunning. the government. Despite the staggering figures, surveys show that 90 percent of all Australians supported bringing in the Games — although statistics for New South Wales, and more specifically, Syd- ney, were unavailable.

Such extensive efforts to provide state- of-the-art, environmentally sound facili- ties will doubtless inspire global praise. One question, however, remains: What will happen to Homebush Bay once the Games are over? Whether or not Sydney, a city of nearly 4 million inhabitants, can sustain such a huge development remains unclear. Officials insist that the new facilities will attract national and interna- tional events, and that recreational users will clamor to dive into the same pool or hit tennis balls on the same courts as Olympic champions once did. They also point out that just because a facility was used for athletic pursuits doesn’t mean it can’t serve other pur- poses. “As far as we’re concerned,” says Watson, “the Olympics is a very short event in the lifetime of this site. We are building a site for the long-term use of the people of Sydney.” Although it’s impossible to gauge the probable use of facilities that have yet to be completed,

CIRCLE 48 ON REPLY CARD May 1999 ATHLETIC BUSINESS 47 OLYMPIC STADIUM STATE HOCKEY CENTRE BONDI BEACH SYDNEY CONVENTION (STADIUM AUSTRALIA) Project Team: Sport Hosted: beach CENTRE Project Team: Bligh Lobb Ancher Mortlock Woolley volleyball Sport Hosted: weightlifting Sports Architects, Obayashi Cost: $10 million Major Additions: A tempo- After the Games: The venue Corporation/Multiplex Con- Completion Date: rary site on the beach will will continue to host conven- structions August 1998 provide seating for 10,000 tions and other events. Cost: $448 million Sport Hosted: hockey spectators. Warm-up and Completion Date: After the Games: Seating will practice facilities will also be SYDNEY EXHIBITION CENTRE June 1999 be reduced from 15,000 to at the site. Sports Hosted: boxing, judo, Sports Hosted: opening and just under 3,000. The venue will host all levels of hockey SYDNEY SUPERDOME wrestling closing ceremonies, soccer, After the Games: The cen- track and field, marathon competition, from school to Project Team: international events. Cox Richardson Architects, tre will continue to host exhi- finish bitions and other events. After the Games: The Devine de Flon Yaeger SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL Cost: $182 million 110,000-seat stadium will ARCHERY PARK SHOOTING CENTRE AT be reconfigured to seat Completion Date: CECIL PARK Project Team: December 1999 80,000. It will host events Stutchbury & Pape Project Team: ranging from the Rugby Sports Hosted: artistic gym- Gazzard Sheldon Architects Cost: $2 million nastics, basketball League World Cup final, the Completion Date: Cost: $20 million Bledisloe Cup and concerts. After the Games: Will be Completion Date: February 1998 home to concerts, indoor Sport Hosted: archery September 1999 SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL sports, gala dinners and Sports Hosted: shooting After the Games: After major exhibitions. AQUATIC CENTRE removing the 4,000-seat events Sport Hosted: swimming, grandstand, the park will STATE SPORTS CENTRE After the Games: After water polo, diving, synchro- become the permanent site removing about 8,000 tem- nized swimming Host of: table tennis, of competition, training and Tae Kwon Do porary seats, the center will Major Additions: Seating sports development for the continue to serve the Cecil capacity will be increased After the Games: As it has Archery Society of New since its opening in 1984, Park Clay Target Club, as from 4,400 to about well as local, national and South Wales. the centre will remain a mul- 15,000. Temporary and international competitions. tipurpose venue for elite and portable equipment, from VELODROME AT BANKSTOWN amateur training and com- SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL timing devices to broadcast petition. and communications sys- Project Team: REGATTA CENTRE Project Team: Conybeare tems, will be installed in the Ryder SJPH Architects HORSLEY PARK months leading up to the Cost: $27 million Morrison, Holman Engineer- Project Team: Equus 2000 ing, Penrith Lakes Develop- Games. Completion Date: (comprised of Timothy After the Games: The cen- September 1999 ment Corp., O’Hanlon Courth & Co., Scott Carver Design and FISA, the inter- tre will continue to host Sport Hosted: cycling and SJPH Design Partner- events ranging from school After the Games: The national rowing federation. ship) and Michael Ethering- Cost: $23 million carnivals to the World Cup. Bankstown City Council, a ton-Smith Completion Date: The facility will also be open developer of the site, will Cost: $24 million operate the facility. Phase 1 — March 1996; to athletes, community Completion Date: Phase 2 — October 1997 groups and families. MAIN ARENA September 1999 Sports Hosted: rowing, Sports Hosted: dressage, TENNIS CENTRE Sport Hosted: baseball canoeing Major Additions: A new jumping, three-day events After the Games: The Project Team: Lawrence After the Games: Grand- Nield and Partners, Building grandstand offers seating regatta centre is just the for 10,000. Additional bar stand seating will be first stage in a larger project. Design Partnership (UK), removed. Other temporary Abigroup Contractors and lounge areas seat up to When completed, it will pro- 500, and the new dining facilities that will be Cost: $23 million vide a 5,400-acre public area seats more than 300. removed after the Games recreation area, including Completion Date: include grooms’ accomoda- seven lakes. September 1999 OLYMPIC SAILING tions, quarantine and veteri- Sport Hosted: tennis SHORE BASE nary offices, farrier holding SLALOM COURSE AT After the Games: The cen- Project Team: Waterways yards and feed and machin- PENRITH LAKES tre will continue to host Construction, Bellingham ery stores. It will remain a Project Team: Pacific major tournaments after the Marine, St. Hilliers permanent equestrian area Power International, games, and will provide Cost: $4 million after the games. An addi- Grose Bradley offices for Tennis NSW. A Completion Date: tional $4 million will be Cost: $8 million tennis museum will also be August 1999 spent on the parkland Completion Date: housed in the facility. Sport Hosted: sailing around the centre. May 1999 SOFTBALL CENTRE After the Games: The SYDNEY SHOWGROUND Sport Hosted: whitewater Cost: $7 million refurbished buildings will Sports hosted: badminton, rafting Sport Hosted: softball provide space for the gymnastics, volleyball After the Games: 5,000 After the Games: 7,000 Australian Yachting After the Games: The Show- temporary seats will be seats will be removed, leav- Federation and community ground, which is essentially removed. The facility will ing 1,000 permanent seats groups. The site will also a relocation of the old show- be host to national and for games held on the com- provide sailing ground, will continue to offer international competitions, petition and two practice opportunities to the local parades, district exhibitions as well as for use by the fields. community. and carnivals. general public.

48 ATHLETIC BUSINESS May 1999 The Sydney International Aquatic Centre’s competition In 1998, 5 million came to see the par- Aquatic Centre, notes, much of the seat- hall features both training and competition pools. tially finished or completed venues at ing will be removed from most venues Homebush Bay. Despite these figures, after the Games. The Olympic Stadium officials can point to the extraordinary many privately worry: If a dozen equally alone will lose more than 30,000 seats — success of the Aquatic Centre, which spectacular facilities exist just miles although the remaining 80,000 won’t opened in 1994 and has since had more from one another, can they all remain exactly make the facility cozy. Another than 5 million visitors. In 1997 alone, a popular? 10,000 seats will be removed from the half million more visited the State Sports Some concessions, of course, have Aquatic Centre to make a smaller — but Centre, an impressive figure given that been made. As Sue Purkiss, a marketing still immense — 8,000-seat stadium. it’s been open for more than a decade. manager for both the Athletic and While officials repeatedly argue that

CIRCLE 52 ON REPLY CARD CIRCLE 53 ON REPLY CARD CIRCLE 54 ON REPLY CARD 50 ATHLETIC BUSINESS May 1999 Many believe that Homebush Bay’s facilities, located 20 minutes from downtown Sydney, will provide long- term benefits for the city.

such huge venues will attract ever-larger crowds for top-notch sporting events — indeed, it is the rallying cry of nearly everyone who will be involved with the venues after the Games — many facili- ties do not have that many specific events nailed down. “We’ll have all sorts of international and national events at the Aquatic Centre after the Games,” says Purkiss, although she declines to elaborate futher. If all this post-Games murkiness seems a bit worrisome given the $1.4 billion investment, officials aren’t letting on. As the calendar shows, those at Homebush Bay still have more than a year to secure events, competitions and hopefully, peo- ple’s hearts. “I think the legacy is the biggest thing,” says Watson. “These venues belong to the public, they belong to the people of Sydney, and they belong to our national and international guests. When people come now to enjoy the Olympic site, we have to say, ‘Hang on, do you realize that after the Olympics you can still come back and swim in the Olympic pool and run on the Olympic track?’ ” Everyone at Homebush Bay certainly hopes so.

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