Stage 2 of the SCG Masterplan has been a fascinating project to watch evolve over the last five years. Below's the new stand as originally proposed:
noblebradman1.jpg
Best described as low-impact, in every sense of the term, the facilities within would also have been 2nd rate compared to other redeveloped grounds. I, for one, am heartened we didn't settle for such a nondescript design.
The revised plan was certainly more striking:
noblebradman2.jpg
So radical were the changes, you could be forgiven for thinking the original was little more than a Trojan Longmire. Apart from the substantially increased amenity and height, the revised submission also bangs on about the stand no longer encroaching on Studios, compensation issues possibly. Here's a late render that pretty much sets Noble-Bradman in stone.. or cast in bronze?
noblebradman3.jpg
I don't dislike it. At least it's distinctive which is as much as you can say of any stadium and more than you can say of most. Yes, for now it jars with all other stands but only till the Cricket World Cup is done and Brewongle/Churchill receive a similar makeover. The top tier gap doesn't bother me and besides, filled with seats we'd no doubt breach the dreaded Damoclean Stadium Australia Project Agreement Amendment Deed when stage 3 debuts.
Is it true the O'Reilly stand was named after its builder, banished from Torquay by a gnome weilding hotelier? It looks it. After the much maligned last stand gets the Trumper treatment in 2019, the SCG ought look something like this:
scg.jpg
Not too shabby, I should think. The vintage stands either shine like emeralds set upon a ring of white gold or stink like mould festering on a vanilla iced donut, depending on your point of view.
I choose the gems and not the germs.
Bookmarks