By August 2008, construction of the giant arch at Moses Mabhida Stadium was progressing rapidly. However few people were aware of the behindthe-scenes efforts to ensure Durban’s signature stadium would meet the highest environmental standards.
As one of South Africa’s 2010 FIFA World Cup match venues, Moses Mabhida Stadium is an impressive structure. Towering more than 100 m over the Durban skyline, the stadium’s structural arch forms an iconic image. As is the case with all 2010 match and training venues, members of the project team for Moses Mabhida Stadium have gone out of their way to design an appropriate facility; boasting cutting-edge and environmentally appropriate features.
But are these stadia meeting best environmental performance standards? Are they designed in line with “green building” principles? To answer these questions, the South African Department of Environmental Affairs, through the Urban Environmental Programme (UEMP), which is funded by the Royal Danish Embassy, commissioned a review of the greening status of the FIFA World Cup stadia (the official match stadia and training venues).
Not only would this establish how green the stadium designs were, it would also give the design teams the opportunity to enhance some green aspects of their designs. At the same time, this review would summarise the lessons learned for the benefit of other stadium designers and operators.
Five of South Africa’s FIFA World Cup match and training venues participated in the review:
- Green Point Stadium (Cape Town)
- Moses Mabhida Stadium (Durban)
- Athlone Stadium (Cape Town)
- Royal Bafokeng Stadium (Rustenburg)
- Peter Mokaba Stadium (Polokwane)
