The bold vision comes as Australia celebrates its outstanding performance at Paris 2024 and looks ahead to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane. The plan is the brainchild of the Brisbane Design Alliance, a team of specialist architects, engineers and planners that brings together the local and global expertise of Buchan, HKS, NRA Collaborative, Aurecon and Nikken Sekkei. 

HKS Director Andrew Colling said 'Northshore Vision 2050' uses under-utilised industrial land to realise the potential of the Brisbane River and deliver a valuable social and economic legacy for South East Queensland - one that gives back to the community. "The vision of the Brisbane Design Alliance is to make Brisbane an even greater city, now and in the future," Colling said. 

"Our Northshore project responds to the projected population growth over the next 25 years by delivering a mixed-use precinct unlike any other in Queensland, located on the banks of our iconic river and supported by a private funding model that minimises cost to the State." 

The project is underpinned by the creation of a mixed-use urban renewal precinct that will add significant value to the fabric of Brisbane as a city and gateway to South East Queensland. Northshore Vision 2050 proposes a world-class 60,000-seat stadium with an adjacent aquatic centre, wave pool, and retail and hospitality zone. Pedestrian promenades extending east and west will maximise access to the river, offering a unique experience. 

Newly created public open spaces, raised gardens, recreational canals and cultural venues celebrate the site's rich First Nations history and restore the pre-colonial profile of the riverfront. Buchan Principal Phil Schoutrop said the scheme would be phased to create a dynamic, mixed-use precinct that responds to Brisbane's rapidly changing needs.

"Stage one would create a sports and entertainment precinct that would accommodate the 2032 Olympics. It includes the stadium, warm-up facilities, and a 2,500-apartment athletes’ village, as well as hotel, restaurant and leisure facilities," Schoutrop said. "This combination of uses will make it possible to activate the area every day of the year, with the stadium complementing a much broader community offer." 

Subsequent phases over the next 15 years would integrate a further 12,000 apartments and townhouses, enterprise, innovation and cultural zones, and a high performance sports science and sports medicine zone. A central park would provide public green open space. An elevated, landscaped walkway would connect the precinct to Doomben Station while a green pedestrian bridge over the river would link the site to the suburb of Bulimba. 

Colling stressed that the project addressed the challenges of the city's existing sporting infrastructure. "We love the Gabba and its history, but its potential will always be constrained by its small footprint. A new, world-class stadium on the North Shore can be purpose-built for cricket and Aussie Rules, while creating a unique Brisbane 2032 Olympic experience and venue," he said. 

Northshore Vision 2050 will deliver the legacy Brisbane deserves, with sporting, community, transport, leisure, cultural and commercial infrastructure as an investment in Brisbane's long-term economic, environmental and social sustainability," Mr Colling added. 

Pointing to the successful legacy of London 2012 in Stratford, UK, Schoutrop said, "London used the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to transform industrial land in the east of the city into an area that is now a thriving place to live and work, with enviable sports and wellness facilities. We can do the same in Brisbane. Our design-led plan optimises land use and investment to make the most of this exciting period of growth and opportunity."