The North Queensland Stadium has just reached a construction milestone, with 50 per cent of the main build works now complete.
To celebrate the achievement, a brand-new free app, nqstadium, has been released on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Minister for Housing and Public Works Minister, Mick de Brenni, said the app will give fans the chance to experience the 25,000-seat stadium before completion and ahead of the start of the 2020 NRL Premiership Season.
“In designing the stadium, the project team have used Building Information Modelling (BIM) to visualise spaces within the stadium to ensure the right balance between elegant architectural design and practical functionality is achieved,” Mr de Brenni said.
BIM digital representations of structures, 3D modelling and virtual reality have allowed the designers to work closely with the managing contractor Watpac and other key end users to identify and address potential issues before the stadium is constructed.
The app, which was developed by principal consultant Cox Architecture and the Department of Housing and Public Works, showcases the stadium’s design through a diorama image that users can rotate on their mobile devices.
Hotspots on the image can be clicked to access artist’s impressions, 360° images and “before and after” sliders that compare the existing 1300SMILES Stadium at Kirwan to the new stadium adjacent to the CBD.
Voice overs and on-screen text provide descriptions throughout the app.
“We’re really excited to share this leading digital technology with the public as we celebrate reaching the halfway mark in the main build, with 566,649 construction hours completed as of 1 May 2019 – 97 per cent of which have been completed by local tradies,” Mr de Brenni said.
The Minister further detailed that of the 56 trade packages awarded so far, 44 have been awarded to local businesses investing $137.7 Million into the local industry.
“This is a tremendous boost to the Townsville economy which, as we know, is getting back on its feet after the monsoon flooding earlier this year,” he said.
“That is 478 Townsville businesses that are already benefiting from being involved in this project.”
This app is just a pre-cursor to the development of a more enhanced and sophisticated app to cover more aspects of future stadiums.
The app will further improve the user’s experience – with a range of solutions being investigated to improve the fan experience, including seat bookings, game day information, food and drink options and purchasing of merchandise.
The North Queensland Stadium is a joint project between the Queensland Government, Australian Government and the Townsville City Council, and is supported by both the National Rugby League and the North Queensland Cowboys.
The stadium forms part of the Townsville City Deal signed in December 2016.
More information on the project can be found here.