Plans are underway to build an indoor stadium for Test cricket in Hobart as a part of Tasmania’s entry to the Australian Football League (AFL). The Tasmania Devils will be inducted into AFL as the tournament’s 19th team in 2028, with a new stadium in place as part of the deal. From construction cost, and location to designs, here is everything you need to know about the stadium.
Where the new Hobart stadium will be built?
The stadium will be built at Macquarie Point, Hobart. The heritage-listed Goods Shed which currently sits where the stadium would be constructed would be re-allocated in between the ground and the Hobart Cenotaph.
What’s special about Hobart’s new stadium?
The venue at Macquarie Point is expected to have a seating capacity of 23,000. The major talking point is the presence of a transparent roof during daytime with floodlights. An alternate design was proposed to make the roof retractable, but the idea was soon rejected, with the authority opting for a fixed one.
How the transparent roof is prepared?
The material used to construct the roof will be ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE). This lightweight self-cleansing plastic lets in 95 per cent of ultraviolet sunlight for grass growth. The panels are cushions full of low-pressure air, and 800mm Tasmanian Timber and steel beams will be used for the framework of the stadium. The prototype of the Macquarie Point Stadium was released.
Ball-tracking data has been used to check whether the roof would be high enough for cricket. The design will be such that there will be minimal interruption of shadows on the playing surface. "Cricket's biggest concern was the height of the roof ... They cited concerns with Marvel Stadium [in Melbourne] where the ball could potentially hit the roof," Cox Architecture CEO Alistair Richardson said.
The Marvel Stadium, a multipurpose stadium in Melbourne, hosted indoor ODIs in the 2000s and BBL matches, but no Test cricket. "What we've done is we've worked through looking at Hawk-Eye and the ball-tracking technology, to actually assess the maximum height that anyone's hit a ball, which is quite interesting. Then, actually, pushed the roof to 50 metres, which cricket was really happy with because there's no instance of anyone hitting a ball at 50 metres."
How much money is pumped in for the construction of the Macquarie Point stadium?
The Tasmania government has promised to shell a maximum of USD 375 million, with private investments contributing if needed.
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