The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually over the last fortnight of January in Melbourne, and is considered the Grand Slam of the Asia Pacific. This year a record 800,000 plus people attended the event. Architecture and Access have been providing input into the accessibility of the event for many years, and ensuring everyone can experience this major tennis event.
This event makes use of permanent Tennis Australia buildings and facilities. It also involves the construction of temporary structures and features in Garden Square, Grand Slam Oval, Eastern Plaza, Birrarung Marr, and Federation Square that provide dining, entertainment and interactive experiences for patrons and visitors. Additionally, temporary viewing structures are constructed at the existing external tennis courts.
Architecture & Access has been providing its access services to the Australian Tennis Open for over six years. “For temporary structures it is important that access for people with a disability is provided. All patrons and visitors should be able to equally enjoy the event. Good access provides features for everyone visiting the tennis”, explains Andrew Sanderson, Director and Senior Access Consultant & Project Manager.
Architecture & Access is engaged by, and works with external project management teams including Republic Events, Harry the Hirer and Larger than Life, who provide the sponsor structures which form part of the external temporary overlay for the event. This includes the facilities within Grand Slam Oval, the Australian Open Ball Park, Australian Open Live Stage.
The Australian Tennis Open and similar short-term projects are managed within tight time frames, associated with the construction and delivery of temporary structures. Additionally, temporary structures are commonly located over existing ground surfaces and therefore have floor finishes above the height of adjacent ground surfaces, requiring the provision of stairs and ramps to access.
Architecture & Access provided access consulting (DDA) & Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) for all the temporary facilities designed and constructed by the Australian Open Partners and their teams. The services included,
- Design reviews
- Performance solution assessments
- Regulatory authority submissions and liaison
- Construction assistance
- Site inspections
- Risk assessments
- Construction completion statements
Our services assisted in the delivery of appropriate facilities that contributed to an amazing 2020 Australian Open.
