The Brumby Labor Government’s new Rectangular Stadium will have Victorians glowing with pride as it lights up Melbourne’s night skyline, thanks to a spectacular new lighting design.
The Brumby Labor Government-s new Rectangular Stadium will have Victorians glowing with pride as it lights up Melbourne-s night skyline, thanks to a spectacular new lighting design.
Major Projects Minister Tim Pallas today announced that the stadium roof would be covered with thousands of LED lights that can shine in any colour and be programmed into a multitude of patterns.
“The Brumby Labor Government is taking action to invest in projects like the $267.5 million Melbourne Rectangular Stadium that generate thousands of jobs, stimulate the local economy and in this case, deliver a new sporting icon for Victoria,” Mr Pallas said.
“This 31,000-capacity boutique stadium, with its unique bio-frame roof, is already attracting huge attention in the community and these new lights will take it to another level.
“The Rectangular Stadium will be an amazing landmark and a shimmering new beacon in the Melbourne skyline. It won-t just be the sporting events inside that attract attention, the stadium itself will be a spectacle.”
Mr Pallas said the lighting scheme would put Melbourne-s Rectangular Stadium up there with Beijing-s water cube and the 2006 World Cup stadium Allianz Arena in Munich.
“The Rectangular Stadium is causing great excitement for sports fans in Melbourne and this lighting scheme just kicks it up another gear,” he said.
“Our illuminated stadium will also be environmentally friendly, with the LED lights using around one tenth of the power required to floodlight the stadium and without any light spill into the surrounding area.
“The design also avoids the problems normally associated with floodlighting buildings, which can attract insects and birds. The team of artists and lighting designers at Electrolight have created programme that is a work-of-art in itself.”
Mr Pallas said the lighting would be programmed to tell the story of the stadium in an abstract way, describing the history and landscape of the site, anticipation before a game and the excitement and energy of the match.
“Further artistic design work will be carried out between now and the stadium-s opening in 2010 to create a programme to light up Melbourne-s night skyline in ways never seen before,” he said.
The Rectangular Stadium, which will be operational in early 2010, is another piece of the jigsaw in Melbourne-s suite of stadiums that makes the sporting precinct the best in the world, and only ten minutes walk from the CBD.
