Award-winning architects to design FNQ’s Barlow Park Stadium
Far North Queensland’s athletes and sports fans will benefit from a cooler, new-look Barlow Park Stadium in Cairns, designed by an award-winning team boasting outstanding national and international experience.
Architectus – one of Queensland’s largest and most-diverse architectural studios – was today announced as Principal Architect for the Barlow Park upgrade after a rigorous six-month selection process undertaken by the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA).
With a history of 135 years of continuous design practice in Queensland, Architectus has over 150 staff based in Queensland, including North Queensland, and more than 760 nationally.
The design will deliver an upgraded Barlow Park that reflects the easy going, outdoor character of the Tropical North, capturing cooling breezes and improving comfort in North Queensland’s warm, humid climate.
Architectus has worked on a range of outstanding projects headlined by the iconic Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in Brisbane – one of the city’s most-loved buildings since its opening in 2006, as well as winning the 2007 Royal Australian Institute of Architects National Award for Public Architecture. They also completed the noted HMAS Cairns Redevelopment in Far North Queensland.
As part of its successful bid, Architectus will collaborate with international sports architecture specialist HKS who are responsible for designing many of the world’s most recognised and acclaimed stadiums including SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
Local Cairns architecture and design practice Indij Design is a key member of the project team and will work closely with the Traditional Custodians to ensure First Nations culture, knowledge and connection to Country are embedded in the design.
Render of the new grandstand at Barlow Park Stadium, Cairns
The upgrade to Barlow Park Stadium will deliver a new grandstand, improved player amenities and accessibility, and increase seating from 1,700 to 5,000, ensuring a lasting sporting legacy for Cairns.
As part of the successful Architectus vision for the Barlow Park Stadium upgrade, the new grandstand will feature an elevated seating bowl providing improved sightlines, a closer connection to on-field action and a more immersive game-day atmosphere.
The design features raised lower and upper concourses with clearer wayfinding and more intuitive links between key gathering spaces, capturing cooling breezes and improving comfort in North Queensland’s warm, humid climate.
Improved sun and weather protection, particularly for accessible seating directly beneath the upper tier, will be tailored to the intense sun and tropical downpours of the Far North.
The design will be better connected to place and Country through enhanced opportunities for appreciation of the stunning cultural landscapes surrounding Cairns.
The stadium upgrade will also provide expanded food and beverage offerings with improved circulation and service points, reducing wait times so spectators spend more time engaged with the event.
Internally, the upgraded stadium will feature contemporary, high amenity change room facilities designed to better support athletes, players, officials, and staff drawn to Cairns for local, regional, and elite competitions.
GIICA CEO Simon Crooks said today marks an excitement milestone for the Cairns venue.
"GIICA has made great strides with our delivery program and the Barlow Park Stadium project in Cairns is at the heart of our 17 new and upgraded venues.
"Regional Queensland is a core pillar in our work delivering benefits and a lasting legacy to all of the state.
"Architectus is an outstanding Queensland company with a great track record of producing quality design across our state.
"We are really looking forward to working with Architectus and our many partners over coming months as we finalise the exciting designs for Barlow Park," Mr Crooks said.
Already home to the Northern Pride rugby league team and Cairns Athletics, Barlow Park Stadium has a proud history of hosting significant sporting events, including rugby league and football matches.
The upgraded stadium will continue to serve codes like the National Rugby League (NRL/NRLW), FNQRL / QRL, football, and rugby union, while positioning Cairns as an international tropical sports and events destination of choice and delivering benefits for the entire community.
Barlow Park Stadium will continue to be the epicentre of Far North Queensland athletics hosting regional, state, and national competitions, as well as home to Cairns Athletics.
Architectus Group Director Communities, Mark van den Enden, said the team are looking forward to enhancing the popular community asset.
“We are excited to be working with the Cairns community to redevelop the much‑loved Barlow Park Stadium.
“Local sporting clubs are the glue that holds communities together and this project is about giving them a venue that supports participation at every level.
“With its outstanding inner‑city location in one of Australia’s most iconic destinations, a redeveloped Barlow Park can become a true home for local clubs and a hub for major sport and entertainment, creating lasting social and economic benefits for Cairns well beyond 2032.”
Architectus, HKS and Indij Design will continue to develop the design for the Barlow Park Stadium upgrade in the months ahead in collaboration with key partners including Cairns Regional Council, Traditional Custodians, the Northern Pride, Cairns Athletics, Peninsula School Sport, the NRL/W Cowboys, the NRL, FNQRL and QRL, as well as other key tourism, sporting, school, community and event users.
GIICA is delivering the 17 new and upgraded venues across the state in the $7.1 billion Games Venues Infrastructure Program jointly funded by the Australian Government and Queensland Government.
