Let’s deliver the Olympics that athletes deserve
When you’re gauging success in split seconds, small details such as a pool’s water and deck temperature make a difference, writes Alastair Richardson.
The Paris Olympics were the first real engagement games with five billion people, or half the world’s population, engaged with them at some point over their 19 days.
Brisbane’s journey towards staging the 2032 Olympics is only just beginning, but the city can glean much from the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. One of the biggest is that they must deliver an “athlete’s first” experience.
Every host city seeks to be the ‘athletes’ games’, but few succeed. It starts with good design and a genuine and committed focus on the athletes.
Elite athletes have unique physical, psychological, and logistical needs. When designing venues, amenities, facilities, and accommodation, architects must consider not only physical demands but psychological ones.
The elite athlete’s journey extends beyond competition. Housing, transport, training, recovery, and even venue atmosphere directly affect performance.
COX Architecture has been designing sporting venues in Australia for 45 years. Having successful COX projects like Anna Meares Velodrome, Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast Aquatic Centre and Cairns Convention Centre already in place was an important factor in Brisbane’s successful bid.
These venues not only form part of Queensland’s sporting infrastructure, but also its wider cultural identity. They celebrate sporting heroes, from Anna Meares to Jonathan Thurston, and provide access and inspiration for tomorrow’s Olympians.
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They were also designed with the benefit of research undertaken with elite Australian athletes, and it’s something that continues to this day.
Athletes continue to tell us that the “spaciousness and seamless flow” of facilities, especially in locker and recovery areas, are features that influence the high-performance competitor experience.
Peripheral spaces, not just main venues, are vital to helping athletes focus without distractions.
One elite cricketer, for example, has told us about the need for a “one-stop shop” that minimises commuting between venues and facilities.
Transportation is a critical part of the athlete experience. Athletes can spend hours each day shuttling between venues for training, competition, medical services, and recovery.
Severe shuttle bus delays in Paris prompted some athletes to find accommodation closer to venues, while many compared their transport experience to being in a sauna due to poor air conditioning.
Logistical challenges increase stress and reduce time for rest and recovery. Poorly designed athlete villages can directly hinder performance.
During Paris’s 2024 heat wave. Italian swimmer Thomas Ceccon was infamously photographed crashing out in a park, and subsequently blamed poor sleeping conditions for his poor performance.
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Athletes at Brisbane’s Games will be accommodated in at least three villages. A major point of difference between the Olympics and world championships is their ability to bring the world’s athletes together to engender camaraderie.
With the 2032 Games spread across South-East Queensland and beyond, designing to achieve this will be key to their success.
High-quality nutrition is not just a nice thing to have at the Olympics. Feeding 15,000 athletes is a monumental task, and good design and planning are crucial.
Paris 2024’s promotion of seasonal produce while limiting waste, and reducing animal proteins was laudable in its pursuit of sustainability, but at times wasat odds with athletes demanding big serves of meat and eggs.
The decision by some to dine out while in competition wasn’t driven by Paris’ range of Michelin restaurants.
It almost goes without saying that the design and technical qualities of venues directly influence athlete performance in competition.
The depth of the pool in Paris – measured at just 2.15 metres – was blamed for the lack of world record-breaking performances in swimming, because shallow water increases turbulence and hinders speed.
When you’re gauging success in split seconds, small details such as a pool’s water and deck temperature make a difference.
Attention to technical details was integral in the design of the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, famously known as the ‘Pool of Dreams’.
Track and field surfaces, lighting, and acoustics all played into the design of Anna Meares Velodrome and have arguably given Brisbane the fastest indoor cycle track in the world.
Alastair Richardson is the director of Australian firm COX Architecture. He has been involved in the design of most major sporting venues in Australia, including Allianz Stadium, Optus Stadium, Adelaide Oval, Rod Laver Arena and the SCG.
