Reddy does not shy from challenging the status quo

FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) must “take the lead” on stadium sustainability to make the hosting of events less prohibitive, according to the architect behind the Commonwealth Games 2022 masterplan.

Talking to CLAD, Ruben Reddy said building huge stadiums for one-off events was a large burden on the taxpayer, particularly in developing countries where “priority lists are quite long”.

He stressed that major sporting events should be “global in all their forms and go to far-flung parts of the world”, but oversized permanent facilities should not be built in places where they would not be used thereafter.

Reddy – who has planned all temporary facilities are part of his Durban 2022 masterplan – said: “We’ve learned hard lessons in South Africa because of the 2010 World Cup.

“We gave, gave, gave, gave, gave and didn’t get a hell of a lot back in return apart from a pat on the back to say ‘well done’.”

The Durban-based Moses Mabhida Stadium cost South Africa US$450m (£359.6m, €420.9m) to build, and continues to be an expense due to its upkeep requirements.

Reddy highlighted the venue as an example of why he thinks FIFA must step in to stop nations developing infrastructure not suited to the area, despite having to make certain attendance and capacity promises to broadcast rights holders.

“What do you do afterwards with a building of 45,000 seats when your average gate for the local club is between 5,000 and 10,000 spectators per game?” he queried, adding that temporary facilities should be used for all one-off events.

Reddy also said that the IOC should begin to “operationalise” its Agenda 2020 plan – which has sustainability at its core – to “take the actions required to make the policy work”.

To read the full interview with Ruben Reddy from the Q1 issue of CLADmag, click here.

All stadiums built for one-off events should be temporary, says architect Ruben Reddy

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