New Design for Melbourne Park Revealed

Written by: Staff on 19th January 2012

New Design for Melbourne Park Revealed |

Melbourne will be the world’s first Grand Slam tennis venue to have three feature courts with operable roofs.

Government officials unveiled the new design for Melbourne Park’s Western Precinct, which includes a redeveloped Margaret Court Arena with an operable roof and increased capacity by 1,500 to 7,500.

It will also include the addition of a new indoor concourse area with improved patron facilities.

The new design is focused on people and creating an active and welcoming space. The roof will provide greater shade and rain protection for the public, while the new foyer spaces are light, airy and inviting.

New entry ways, amenities and internal connections shared with Rod Laver Arena will also make it easier for people to get around, especially during major events such as the Australian Open.

Nearly the whole perimeter of the arena is glassed in with spectacular views of the city skyline. Inside the foyer, a timber feature wall has shapes cut out of it to mimic the trajectory of a bouncing ball.

The ‘pleated’ roof design complements the adjacent Rod Laver Arena while giving the new Margaret Court Arena a stand-alone identity.

The Australian Open makes a vital contribution to Victoria, generating around 1,000 full time equivalent jobs and $164 million annually into the State’s economy. That is why the Victorian Coalition Government is making such a substantial investment of $363 million in Melbourne Park’s redevelopment.

Providing a third operable-roof arena, expected to be completed in 2015, is the last element of this development which also includes the new Eastern Plaza and tennis training facility, a new events area on Batman Avenue, landscaping on the Oval and a water recycling system.

The upgraded Margaret Court Arena will provide a versatile mid-range venue for tennis, netball and basketball, between the 3,500-seat State Netball and Hockey Centre and the 11,000-seat Hisense Arena. It can also be configured for concerts, further improving one of the busiest entertainment precincts in the world.

Topics: Australian Open