The AFC Asian Cup Was One of the Most Talked About Football Events Ever in Asia. What Does this Greater Connectivity Mean for the Future of Stadium Design? – Populous
February 25, 2015
This was never more evident than during the last moments of the AFC Asian Cup Final at the Sydney Olympic Stadium as the 80,000 strong crowd held its breath, willing the players to victory. There was a bond between all the spectators that transcended the stadium and was felt much more widely than Sydney.
Atmosphere is created by a myriad of things such as proximity to the game, an exceptional view, the noise at the game, and the connectivity of fans. The incredibly complex thing that is atmosphere is an almost mystical thing.
But there is also a whole range of other things designers can increasingly do to help remote audience better connect with what’s going on at the match. The lifeline for the remote audience is the video feeds.
The aim of those video feeds is to get the remote audience into the heart of the action, then people can feel the player intensity, the crowd noise, the excitement of the event. It can be done by flying cameras, even drones and the potential for how video can get in amongst the action is more exciting than it’s ever been.
One day soon we will see cameras embedded in players’ clothing. Can you imagine the view of a penalty shoot-out from the most intense position possible – the shirt of the player taking the shot?
We’ll see how the players are influenced by the noise from the crowd and feel the intensity of the wall of focused spectators.
We have had sound on referees for years, now it will be the turn of video to take the game to a whole new level. It will be daunting, exciting and uplifting – all at the same time. Stadium designers must now consider every demand of technology as well as the demands of connectivity.
The 2015 AFC Asian Cup provided other lessons for sport. It has shown the emergence and extraordinary popularity of professional sport in Asia. The official AFC Asian Cup website reported a worldwide TV audience in excess of one billion, with China, Asia’s biggest market showing a cumulative average viewership ( the number watching at any given time) of 182 million by the end of the semi-final.
And 37% of South Korea’s entire population watched the Taegeuk Warriors’ semi-final victory over Iraq. The tournament had shown how “connected” the Asian sports fan is and that social media is driving this new engagement. It is still early days in the development of professional sport and this tournament is just the tip of the iceberg.
For Australia, hosting the tournament, was a special window of opportunity into Asia, to be right in the middle of it all, with powerful benefits for both business and cultural ties.
The AFC Asian Cup was hosted in a number of Populous –designed stadia. The tournament illustrated that these are still high performing venues with great atmosphere, many years after they were first built. Populous deliberately designs for the long term and continuing relevance.
These buildings are not white elephants but hard working venues with a real place in the public’s heart. Stadium designers must continue to look to the future to design for evolution that will inevitably take place. The one consistent in the design of both the Sydney ( ANZ Stadium) and Brisbane (Suncorp stadium) has been a focus on the importance of atmosphere.
These venues have always had atmosphere at the centre of their philosophy and to this day, it remains the key to their future longevity.
Richard Breslin is a Senior Principal at Populous and a Director of the Asian/Pacific office headquartered in Brisbane. Richard also sits on the worldwide strategic Board of Populous. Richard is responsible for all of the firm’s projects in New Zealand and Australia.
In 1997, Richard commenced work with the team on the design of Stadium Australia (now ANZ Stadium), the main venue for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games. At this time, he also worked on the event overlay for the Games before moving to London where he worked on the design of the 90,000 seat Wembley Stadium, and the design of the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was also project leader for Populous’ successful master plan for the London 2012 Olympic Park.
Following the successful delivery of the 2000 Summer Games, Richard worked on the design of the 90,000 seat Wembley Stadium, before leading the design team for two stadia constructed in Portugal (Estadio da Luz in Lisbon and Estadio Algarve in Faro) in preparation for the UEFA Euro 2004 soccer competition.
In 2006, he was Project Leader for the design of the Soccer CIty Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was also appointed project leader for Populous’ successful master plan for the London 2012 Olympic Park. Populous designed the main stadium for the London Olympics and was part of the Overlay team for the Olympic Park.
In 2007, Richard immigrated to New Zealand, where he led the teams on Eden Park redevelopment in Auckland and Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin; – both were venues for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Richard is now working on a range of projects in Australia and New Zealand, including the sports hub which is part of the blueprint for the rebuilding of Christchurch, following the earthquakes.
Richard is currently leading the Populous team on the Darling Harbour Live project in Sydney in a HASSELL+ Populous joint venture. The $750M project includes the design of a convention centre, exhibition centre and theatre. He is also Director in charge of the redevelopment of Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne.
Richard’s 
Paul is an internationally recognised expert in the design and master planning of stadia, racecourses, arena and the planning of Olympic Games.. Paul is a Senior Principal and sits on the global board of, Populous, as both an owner and CEO of the Asian region from the Brisbane base and he chairs the firm’s Global Strategic Committee.
During his extensive career, Paul has led the development of world renowned sports and entertainment buildings including the design of the Sydney Olympic Stadium, Suncorp stadium in Brisbane, Nanjing Sports Park in China, Taiwan Arena, and the racecourses for the Hong Kong Jockey Club as well as many other major stadia in Australia.
Many of Paul’s stadium designs have become a centerpiece for a city’s development, as well as showcasing Australian skills and expertise. Governments throughout Asia have invited Paul to lead discussions on the procurement and design of sports facilities to best suit the needs of a city and its community.
Paul’s