Melbourne Park’s Western Precinct is to be redeveloped to include an operable roof for Margaret Court Arena, increased seating capacity and an indoor concourse area.
The collaborative proposal by NH Architecture and Populous for the redevelopment was recently unveiled by the Victorian government. The proposal features a glazed perimeter to the arena that will allow city views, as well as timber feature wall inside the foyer that will have 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 and providing greater shade and rain protection. The redevelopment will also include new amenities, light airy foyer spaces and internal connections with Rod Laver Arena, making it easier for people to move between venues.
The redevelopment is expected to be completed in 2015. It is the last element of a series of developments to the precinct that includes the new Eastern Plaza and tennis training facility, a new events area on Batman Avenue, landscaping and a water recycling system.
The upgraded Margaret Court Arena will provide a versatile 7,500-seat venue for tennis, netball and basketball, situated between the 3,500-seat State Netball and Hockey Centre and the 11,000-seat Hisense Arena. It will make Melbourne Park the world’s first Grand Slam tennis venue to have three feature courts with operable roofs.
