A look inside Cape Town’s 2010 stadium

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Green Point stadium with Nick Whiteley, the City of Cape Town’s 2010 media officer. I was accompanying a group from Chile who were filming a 13-part travel series on Southern Africa to promote the country ahead of the World Cup.

From the start of the project, I have remained, for the most part, neutral on the subject of the stadium, the money spent, the land lost, the inconvenience of the construction site, but as I watched it grow into a permanent and very large feature on the city’s skyline, I started to lean more and more to the side of its detractors.

For the same reasons that I don’t want to see a huge white carbuncle on the city’s shore, this location was chosen to showcase the city and the tournament. Cape Town’s famous skyline with Table Bay and the Waterfront the foreground and Table Mountain at the back provides the most spectacular aerial perspective of the city. Of course, there is no better way to get the billions of TV spectators wishing they could visit the city and the chances are pretty good that a fair proportion of those spectators who may never have considered visiting the country, will be swayed by the 2010 coverage.

And then there are the post-World Cup benefits…. A brilliant new venue for sports events, rock concerts, religious gatherings (hmm..) that would provide employment and revenue for the city. An upgraded transport system and road network that until now has been a major source of frustration for those who live or work in the city.

So, much as I still dislike the large white boil on our beloved green space, I have to concede that

1. It is an impressive piece of architecture
2. My city will make a pretty damn fine backdrop in those aerial shots
3. When the lights go out and cheers die down, Cape Town’s role as a leading city of the world will just be starting

CLICK HERE for a rough video of the inside of the stadium..

The west side, facing Robben Island. The outer wall will be covered with a special material, the last shipment of which took a swim on the way from Bangkok..... tick.. tick.. tick to December 14th

The press room

Entrance to the media reception area

Looking towards the commentary seating (foreground to the right)

Entrance to the pitch

So much dust...