New proposal for Brisbane Olympic Stadium: “The Gabba West”
There is still no decision on what the main stadium for the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane should look like. A new design now proposes a new building on the larger opposite site, which would offer increased capacity and higher quality facilities for the Games and would replace the current stadium with several thousand flats in legacy mode after the Olympics.
With the confirmation of the 2032 Summer Olympics heading to Brisbane, it was essentially decided that "The Gabba”, actually the “Brisbane Cricket Ground” and one of the most historic cricket stadiums in Brisbane and Australia, would undergo a complete redevelopment. However, in December 2024, the new Queensland government put all projects on hold, announcing a 100-day infrastructure review “assessing the intricate network of critical infrastructure projects required to support the Games.”
Australian architectural Firm Kirk Studios has therefore submitted a new proposal: “The Olympic stadium is traditionally the center piece of the games and legacy venues, however currently this is a contentious issue in Brisbane. There is one obvious solution for the Queensland Olympic Stadium and its hiding in plain sight, right next door to the Gabba Stadium.” Currently this space is a huge construction zone for the "Woolloongabba Cross River Rail" (CRR), a subway connection that will link the two city sides through the Brisbane River. Furthermore, the land is owned by the government and is otherwise largely unused, with excellent transport connections once completed. With available space almost twice the size of the current stadium, it offers the opportunity for a capacity expansion, pssoibly accommodates a 60,000- seat oval stadium, modelled on Perth Stadium, with plans informed by official drawings to ensure accuracy.
As ‘Gabba West’, the new stadium would replace the current one, effectively ‘Gabba East’, following the Summer Olympics from 2042, and after demolition, a public park and more than 2,500 flats could be built there. During Olympic Mode, this Location enables the Gabba East Stadium to remain fully operational for all scheduled events, including AFL and cricket, through to 2034. Additionally, Gabba East can serve as a warm-up track, a backup venue for a virtual opening and closing ceremony experience accommodating up to 100,000 spectators, and a dedicated media centre.
The architects conclude: “Our intention in developing this concept is to encourage the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA) to fully consider the opportunity it presents. Beyond addressing the Olympic Stadium’s requirements, Gabba West offers a long-overdue solution to the city’s most critical transport nexus, resolving traffic issues that have persisted since Brisbane’s foundation.” (stadiaworld, 11.02.2025)
