The Australian Football League, in conjunction with the Victorian State Government, has revealed the Grimshaw-led designs for Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium upgrade.

The Marvel Stadium works support the desire of the AFL to improve the experience of, and facilities for, fans attending sports and entertainment events while also activating the perimeter supporting the government’s ambition to improve the City to Docklands urban connections and public realm experience. This is enabled through adaptation of the stadium to the south and east creating significant new places – the ‘Town Square’ and ‘City Edge’ respectively. 

The Town Square redevelopment will welcome pedestrians arriving from the Bourke Street footbridge from Southern Cross Station. Providing a visual connection to the field of play, it will transform the concourse-level space into an open and accessible area to gather week-long or when attending an event. 

The second level of the Town Square will also be open to the public, lined with food and beverage offerings and adaptable enough to be easily converted to ticketed areas for matches and concerts.

Overlooking Wurundjeri Way, the ‘City Edge’ redevelopment will create a dynamic entry experience and provide significant new function spaces and amenities with views of both the arena and CBD as backdrop.

These interventions are supported by a number of key upgrades across the stadium including major renovations to public food and beverage areas connecting into the arena and overlooking the field of play, two new repositioned and larger scoreboards at either end of venue, improved lighting and technology upgrades, significant improvements to the team facilities and numerous support facilities for staff and the public alike.