Cape Town Stadium

Cape Town’s brand new stadium

Construction of the breathtaking new Cape Town Stadium, located on the Green Point Common between the twin South African icons of Table Mountain and Robben Island, began in March 2007.

In just 33 months, joint contractors Murray & Roberts and WBHO completed the massive project at a cost of R4,4-billion – or approximately US$600-million. GMP Architects of Germany and two local firms, Louis Karol and Associates and Point Architects, joined forces to design the stadium.

All systems of the 68 000-seater have been tested and the brand new stadium is now ready to welcome the world to “the greatest show on earth”.

Click here to see details about the eight World Cup matches that the Cape Town Stadium will host.

About the stadium

The design. The sweeping silhouette of Cape Town Stadium has forever changed the face of the surrounding Green Point Common. Enveloped by a façade of woven fibreglass coated with Teflon, it will resemble a rose-coloured bowl floating on a base when lit up at night. The architects have dubbed the stadium “the diva of Cape Town”, due to its ability to reflect the constantly changing moods of the city in varying weather conditions.

The roof. The design and construction of the roof is unique. Its original basic structure resembled a bicycle wheel, open in the middle. Some 72 cables linking the outer and inner rings of the circle were slowly tightened to raise the roof from ground level to its present height. In another first, the roof has 16mm-thick panels of glass to cover and protect spectators from strong winds and rain. This will let in the light, while the ceiling panels underneath – made of woven PVC fabric – will soften the noise from within.

The stadium bowl. For the eight World Cup matches to be played at the venue, the stadium will have a seating capacity of 68 000, including 13 000 temporary seats that will be removed after the competition. The stadium is designed so that all spectators are close to the game, and it can be evacuated in 15 minutes.

Safety. Spectators will be protected by a state-of-the-art camera surveillance system, monitored by police in the Venue Operations Centre inside the stadium. Pitch invasions are discouraged by a wide moat around the circumference. There is also a police station inside the building to deal with hooligans and other criminals.

Soaking up South African culture

In addition to the regular seats, the stadium can accommodate up to 150 corporate suites and 2 000 premium business club seats, making this the perfect venue for companies to host their clients.

It’s also within easy walking distance of the city centre and the major road and rail transport hub. A dedicated pedestrian fan route will ensure that ticket holders have easy access to the event and can soak up the electric atmosphere and South African culture even before they reach the stadium. 

How green is the stadium?

A review team appointed by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has found that Cape Town Stadium meets high standards of environmental protection.

Water and energy efficiency measures are part of the design and, when the old Green Point Stadium was demolished to make way for the new one, 95% of the components were recycled and reused. Water from the stadium roof and drainage from the pitch is pumped into ponds on Green Point Common, thus reducing dependency on potable water.

The inward pitch of the roof and the use of the roof’s inner ring to house the 360 lights (instead of using high exterior masts) are both features that make the stadium more attractive.

Quick facts

• 96 000m³ of concrete were used to build Cape Town Stadium.
• The roof weighs 4 700 tons.
• Some 9 000 glass panels were used to cover 37 000m² of roof.
• There are 500 toilets and 360 urinals.
• The stadium has 115 entry turnstiles.
• There are 16 lifts in the building.
• More than 2 500 workers were employed on site during construction, and almost 1 200 artisans received training from the contractors.

After the final whistle blows

Set in an 85ha urban sports park that caters for seven different sports codes and includes a golf course and a public recreation precinct, the new stadium lies virtually at the foot of majestic Table Mountain, and is only a few hundred metres from the famous Sea Point seafront promenade.

This world-class venue has been designed to not only offer football fans an unforgettable experience, but also with a view towards giving the people of Cape Town a beautiful, versatile venue for decades after the final whistle has been blown in the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

There is no doubt that this new stadium is also set to become the premier destination in South Africa for sports, cultural, music, entertainment and community events, with the potential to attract millions of international and domestic visitors to Cape Town for decades to come.

Cape Town Stadium Photos

From the 2010 photo library