Design Firm Puts on Championship Performance at Sydney Games

KANSAS CITY – Kansas City-based HOK Sport made a huge splash in Australia during therecent Olympic games. The company designed Stadium Australia where thetrack and field events tooks place in addition to providing the masteroperations plan for the entire Olympic site.

HOK Sport was created last year after HOK Sports Facilities Group joinedwith Lobb Sports Architects of London and Brisbane, Australia. The firmnow has 300 employees, including 250 in Kansas City. The project wasdesigned before the merger with Lobb Sports under the contractural nameof Bligh Lobb Sports Architecture.

Design of the 110,000-seat Stadium Australia was centered on “the needto preserve the unique qualities of sports competition while resolvingthe needs of the spectator the operator,” according to Carrie Plummer,public relations/marketing coordinator for HOK Sport.

The structure incorporated elements that allowed rain falling on thestadium’s roof to be collected to water the field. It also was equippedwith technological infrastructure that provides for future digitaltelevision requirements. The roof is supported with 295-meter longtrusses that measure more than half the span of Sydney’s Harbour Bridge.The lead designer and principal in charge of Stadium Australia was HOKSport senior vice president Rod Sheard.

HOK was also engaged by the 2000 Sydney Olympic Baseball Advisory toreview the facility brief submitted by the Australian BaseballFederation.HOK Sport has recently added a new group within the company–HOK Event.The event-planning arm is headed by Bob Stiles.