Architects propose ‘Gabba West’ as Brisbane Olympic stadium

February 5, 2025

Design / Sport / Venues /

Brisbane-based design practice Kirk has become the latest entrant to propose a main stadium for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics with a plan for a new ‘Gabba West’ venue.

The architects are proposing that ‘Gabba West’, a new 60,000-seat stadium, be built above the Woolloongabba Cross River Rail site adjacent to the current, smaller, Gabba.

In this latest submission to the Queensland Government’s 100-day review of Games infrastructure continues, Kirk Director Rickard Kirk and Principal Dr Andrew Magub say the near-empty site on which ‘Gabba West’ would be built is the “most accessible site in the city”.

While the Kirk proposal suggests that the current Gabba would be retained to provide warm-up, support and ancillary functions during the 2032 Olympic Games, it suggests that the historic venue be demolished and the site redeveloped after the Games.

Kirk advised “importantly the Gabba West site already has the major transport infrastructure in place - unlike all the other speculative siting options proposed.

“It is not circumstantial (that) the city built its primary sporting facility here in 1890 and it is not by chance that the Cross River Rail Station is located here as well.”

Kirk and Dr Magub say their proposal to effectively duplicate the Gabba avoids the emotional issues of vacating East Brisbane State School and the displacement for cricket and the AFL.

It also notes that plans for a new venue in Brisbane’s Victoria Park had “a number of fatal issues” including isolation from existing major transport networks and noise next to one of the city’s major hospitals.

They argue that Suncorp Stadium is too small and the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre is “almost totally void of any major transport networks and amenity”.

Dr Magub noted the Woolloongabba Cross River Rail site, owned by the Queensland Government, needed minor resumption of land and could keep the Gabba operational until 2032.

In December last year, design and consultancy organisation Arcadis set out the case for a new stadium to serve as the centrepiece of Brisbane 2032 while, in August, the Brisbane Design Alliance unveiled a proposal for a stadium and surrounding sport and hospitality precinct on the Brisbane River.

Images: Brisbane-based design practice Kirk's proposal for a new ‘Gabba West’ venue, adjacent to the current Gabba (top), the concourse of the proposed venue (middle) and the new venue in post-Games mode with the site of the original Gabba redeveloped for housing (below). Credit: Kirk.

31st January 2025 - Greg Norman to join 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Brisbane Organising Committee

23rd January 2025 - Australia’s peak aquatic sports unite in proposal for legacy Brisbane Olympics aquatic centre

23rd January 2025 - Tier 2 purpose-built rectangular stadium included in Australian football’s Brisbane 2032 infrastructure submission

13th January 2025 - Hockey Australia and Hockey Queensland cite Gold Coast Hockey Centre as ideal venue for 2032 Olympics and Paralympics

11th January 2025 - Gold Coast City Council makes case to stage Brisbane 2032 aquatic events

16th December 2024 - New design for Gabba and adjacent Brisbane Arena presented to 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games infrastructure and planning review

12th December 2024 - International Olympic Committee advises of record income through 2021 to 2024 cycle

6th December 2024 - Backers revive plans for key Brisbane 2032 Games venues at Victoria Park

2nd December 2024 - ABC report scrutinises ASM Global’s management of Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium

20th November 2024 - Four key Brisbane park precincts to be revitalised ahead of 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games

12th November 2024 - Brisbane’s South Bank Piazza announced as 2025 Squash Australian Open venue

28th October 2024 - New Queensland Premier to deliver changed plan for main venue for Brisbane Olympics

27th September 2024 - New advisory group to make Brisbane 2032 Games a catalyst for change

10th September 2024 - Sport sector launches Australia-wide talent search ahead of Brisbane 2032

28th August 2024 - Brisbane Lord Mayor unveils Olympic transport legacy plan

19th August 2024 - Design consortium reveals proposal for riverside Brisbane 2032 Olympic stadium

14th August 2024 - Masterplan released for popular Brisbane sporting precinct

13th August 2024 - Brisbane 2032 appoints senior Paris Olympics executive as Chief Commercial Officer

2nd August 2024 - Northshore Brisbane $87 million street renewal commences in preparation for 2032 Games Athlete Village

24th July 2024 - Initial design for Brisbane Olympic stadium shows venue with one grandstand

11th July 2024 - First five Minor Venue Program projects approved for Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games

14th May 2024 - Federal Government budget favours arts, sport and tourism along with $3.4 billion commitment to Brisbane Olympics

23rd March 2024 - $6.4 million cost of Gabba rebuild proposal an example of confused Brisbane 2032 decision-making

18th March 2024 - Queensland Government’s Brisbane Olympics venues review recommends scrapping of Gabba rebuild

11th March 2024 - Brisbane 2032 President Andrew Liveris calls for Games building to begin

1st December 2023 - 20,000 seat stadium to be built at Brisbane’s RNA Showgrounds as temporary Gabba replacement

24th November 2023 - Queensland Government announces commencement of design and construction procurement for new Gabba Stadium

17th September 2023 - Senate inquiry calls for ‘urgent review’ of Queensland Government’s $2.7 billion Gabba redevelopment

23rd August 2023 - AOC’s Matt Carroll tells Federal Senate hearing that redevelopment of the Gabba for Brisbane Olympics is ‘not required’

28th July 2023 - Gabba rebuild prompts Queensland Cricket call for new 10,000 seat stadium at Albion

9th August 2022 - Rising 2032 Olympics costs could see Gabba redevelopment exceed $1 billion

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