The redevelopment of the northern side of the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the 2006 Commonwealth Games reaffirmed the MCG’s standing as one of the world’s great sporting icons.
Markedly different from the entry points of the old W.H. Ponsford Stand, Members Pavilion, and the 1956 Olympic Stand, the three new entries fully engage approaching patrons.
Each entry features a grand glazed atrium housing the escalators that take patrons to the upper levels. At the same time, the transparency of the glazed facade invite patrons of the adjacent bars and function areas to enjoy the natural beauty of the surrounding parkland. This view is made possible by replacing heavy steel members within the skeletal facade support structure with a minimalist and structurally efficient network of aesthetic stainless steel Ronstan Tensile Architecture rods.
The result is a 3 dimensional structure that provides horizontal and vertical support to the glazed facade and shade and access for services, without overpowering the view. The Ronstan ARS3 rod system was selected by architects MCG5 as the structural rod solution for moderate loads that also provides the perfect marriage of economy, strength and corrosion resistance. The polished and passivated standard finish of the 316 bars ensured the aesthetics matched the structural performance and requirement for long life.
With design partners well experienced in tensile architecture, the main Ronstan Tensile Architecture interest was to compliment great product with the right mix of product support. Ronstan worked closely with steel contractor, Materials Fabrication, to ensure the accuracy of connection details which in turn led to a smooth and efficient site installation.
In many instances, Ronstan Tensile Architecture looks at the loads required and select the material grade for the specific tensile characteristics. This allows for the optimal efficiency of the tendon in transferring the load, a key requirement in lightweight architecture. In this case, the ‘G’ structures included 600 tendons with adjustable fork ends manufactured from 2 kilometres of 19mm grade 316L bar.
