In partnership with Hassell, COX Architecture has been appointed by the Queensland Government to design the Brisbane Stadium. For Richard, this isn’t just a venue, it’s a stage for the world to see Brisbane, a gathering place for generations, and a legacy project that will define the city long after the 2032 Games are over.

Business

Congratulations on securing the Brisbane 2032 Stadium contract, together with Hassell. What does this achievement mean for you personally, and for COX’s Queensland studio?

It’s a very humbling appointment, and it’s wonderful that Australian practices are recognised to deliver an Australian Olympic and Paralympic Games. It’s incredibly rewarding for the team and myself. I grew up in Queensland, trained in Queensland, studied at the University of Queensland, and all of that experience has been brought to bear on this opportunity.

The Games have always been magical to me. For as long as I can remember, I’ve watched it on television every four years, and the athletes have always been heroes. Athletics always seemed the pinnacle. What’s exciting is that this project delivers a strong legacy beyond the Games.

That’s the fantastic part. It will be the home of AFL and Cricket. Australia is really the only place that brings those sports together at this scale. The Stadium will be the largest venue in Brisbane for concerts. At COX, we’ve been working in public-focused projects since the 1970s, contributing to a number of venues around the country such as Optus Stadium, Adelaide Oval, Allianz Stadium, the SCG and the MCG, a number of which were delivered with our Brisbane Stadium partner Hassell. It’s a great realisation of the team’s skills.

You’ve spent more than 25 years shaping COX Architecture’s work nationally, internationally and here in Brisbane. How have you seen the­­ city evolve over that time – and how does a project like this reflect where Brisbane now sits on the global stage?

Brisbane is a fantastic city. I’ve lived and worked here a very long time, having moved to Brisbane when I was nine, in 1979, and it was quite a different place then.

Brisbane changes incrementally but it has also often used major events as catalysts for transformational progress. The 1982 Commonwealth Games, which I fondly remember attending, and Expo ’88, which was quite an amazing moment for the city were examples of this. This next opportunity, the 2032 Games, really is a once in a city’s lifetime transformational opportunity.

Before Expo ’88, it was illegal to dine on a footpath in Brisbane. That says a lot about how much the city has changed, and how it responds to its subtropical climate and lifestyle. Brisbane has matured significantly in terms of transport, infrastructure, lifestyle amenity and hospitality and is a city that is wonderful to both live in and visit.

You’ve delivered some of Queensland’s most recognisable public projects, from stadiums to bridges and cultural precincts. Are there any standouts? What lessons from those projects are you bringing into this Olympic-scale opportunity?

At COX, we say that we want to contribute to the public life of our cities, it’s very important to us. We always look for ways our projects can give to the community.

The Kangaroo Point Bridge is a great example. It was over 100 years in the making, and now that it’s realised, it’s hard to imagine the city without it. It’s transformed the end of the CBD where we work.

Our involvement in the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, which started before my time, has also been significant. It’s an important economic engine for the city, recognised for its operational performance, and its location close to the heart of the city gives it real strength.

My experience in COX – 25 years this year – is that we’ve been able to work on the full breadth of Queensland. Queensland is amazing – distinctive for being the most regionalised state of Australia, with more people living outside the capital than within it. That’s reflected in our work, from projects such as Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville, Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, Cairns Performing Arts Centre and Cairns Convention Centre, to inland projects such as the Age of Dinosaurs Museum, Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton and the Cunnamulla Hot Springs. They are all projects that respond to climate, context and community. That is the same ambition for the Stadium.

Queensland is also well recognised for doing more with less. And Queensland architects are generally recognised for their skills, because they are usually working with modest budgets, and they tend to make quite innovative solutions because of that. So that idea of building as much as necessary but as little as possible is a trait that’s very much part of our practice, part of working in Brisbane and Queensland, and something we’ll continue to carry forward.

Sustainability has been a consistent thread through your work. How will climate, legacy and long-term community shape the design approach for this stadium?

Brisbane has a benign subtropical climate. I often say that in many parts of Queensland, you could put up a tarp and be comfortable for most of the year.

That’s where sustainability starts in my mind. Not with technology, but with passive design. Responding to sun, breezes and landscape engagement are the real foundations. If you get those right, everything else builds from there. It is the approach to the Stadium as well as getting greater connectivity to the precinct and allowing more people to benefit from it. For major projects, sustainability involves making decisions to minimise the ongoing energy and operational costs.

Beyond Brisbane 2032, what does success look like for this stadium for Brisbane residents and future generations?

It’s a significant investment, and it needs to have a long life of giving back to the community. For me, success is about legacy and creating something that continues to serve Brisbane well beyond the Games.

That means maximising how it’s used, of course. Sport will be fundamental, but so will concerts, entertainment and large gatherings. I think that for Brisbane, it will become the largest single place for people to come together, embedding itself in the everyday life of the city and not just “games days”.

That’s what gives a project lasting value, and that’s the most rewarding part of being involved.

Projects of this scale require deep collaboration across government, industry and communities. How do you approach leadership and alignment when so many stakeholders are involved?

We said in our submission that the Queensland character is often defined more by humility than bravado, and I think that’s true. Delivering large, complex projects requires recognising everyone’s skillsets and bringing them together respectfully.

While we’re proud to lead the Architectural team alongside our partners, Hassell, there are many contributors who are fundamental to success. It’s about understanding that you’re part of a team, and success will be based on collaboration.

You still rely on hand drawing as part of your creative process. In an era of digital design and AI, why does that tactile approach remain important to you?

For me, it’s simply the easiest way to get what’s in my head onto a page and share it with others.  Our team includes people with extraordinary skills in 3D modelling and digital technology, far beyond mine, but the key is always how to share those ideas in ways that people can understand them.

There’s just something very human about drawing. You draw what’s important and leave out what isn’t. Sometimes drawing is about aspiration, sometimes recording, sometimes just for exploring, but it remains a powerful way to share ideas and start conversations.

On a personal note

What’s the best business/professional advice you were ever given?

Think straight, talk straight, work hard, don’t tell lies.

Favourite Brisbane lifestyle or entertainment precinct?

James Street is really quite unique in Brisbane. Fortitude Valley as a whole, though, has a nighttime economy that’s unparalleled in Australia.

Favourite Brisbane restaurant?

Harveys Bar and Bistro – never lets you down, but I do spend a bit of time with the good people at Toscano downstairs from our office.

What makes Brisbane a great place to live? Why is it a great place to work?

It’s a great place to live because of its proximity to such amazing offerings – Moreton Bay and the sand islands that protect it, the two Coasts and the connection to the Scenic Rim. It’s really a spectacular location. The beach is fantastic, but what I love about Brisbane is this relaxed culture, which I think is quite different from Sydney or Melbourne. They’re more mature in a way, and of course fantastic cities, but different and sometimes hectic. They don’t wake up like Brisbanites do. Brisbane is a breakfast city – seizing the day. Brisbane doesn’t have to try very hard to deliver.

Olympic or Paralympic sport you’re most excited about potentially watching at Brisbane 2032?

A long, long time ago, I could run 100 metres pretty fast. It was as far as I could run before I ran out of puff, so it’s always been my favourite Olympic event. I expect I will continue to watch them all.