Latest news
Brisbane’s ‘ugly duckling’ to be demolished for new underground station and Populous arena
By Kim Megson
International architecture and design practice The NRA Collaborative masterplanned the Brisbane Live site in 2016, but Populous will deliver the arena Credit: AEG Ogden/Brisbane Live
With an 18,000 seat world-class arena as its centrepiece, the Roma Street precinct will become Queensland’s premier entertainment venue hosting major live concerts and world-class sporting events right in heart of the city
– Jackie Trad
The Brisbane Transit Centre – often cited as the Australian city’s ugliest building – is to be demolished to make way for a metro station and leisure district, dominated by an entertainment area from architects Populous.
The project was confirmed in last week’s Queensland State Budget 2018-9, with deputy premier and treasurer Jackie Trad pledging that “the western gateway to the city will be totally transformed.”
When complete, the new Roma Street Station is expected to be used by more than 230,000 commuters every week. It will be linked with the new Brisbane Live arena, designed by Populous and managed by global entertainment company AEG Ogden, which runs the LA Live arena in Los Angeles and the O2 in London. Its plans for the site include cinemas, restaurants, bars, hotels, and residences. International architecture and design practice The NRA Collaborative created a masterplan for the site in 2016.
“With an 18,000 seat world-class arena as its centrepiece, the Roma Street precinct will become Queensland’s premier entertainment venue hosting major live concerts and world-class sporting events right in the heart of the city,” said Trad.
“Populous are well known in Brisbane, having designed the multi-award winning Suncorp Stadium and international venues including the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.”
Early works will start in 2019, with the Brisbane Transit Centre – described by Trad as the city’s “ugly duckling” – and adjacent Hotel Jen to be demolished in late-2020.
The project is being delivered as part of the wider AUS$5.4bn (US$3.9bn, €3.4bn, £3bn) Cross River Rail development, which will see a new underground rail line and several stations built through central Brisbane.
Populous are known for their high-profile stadiums and arenas, and their recently-completed projects include the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. They are currently developing a striking spherical entertainment venue in London for the Madison Square Garden Company, which is set to “pioneer the next generation of transformative, immersive experiences.”
With an 18,000 seat world-class arena as its centrepiece, the Roma Street precinct will become Queensland’s premier entertainment venue Credit: AEG Ogden/Brisbane Live
The Brisbane Transit Centre, described by Trad as the city's 'ugly duckling' Credit: Wiki Commons
The Brisbane Transit Centre – often cited as the Australian city’s ugliest building – is to be
demolished to make way for a metro station and leisure district, dominated by an
entertainment area from architects Populous.
CLD,VAT,AAC,ARC,DES,DEV,INV
THUMB27469_278276.jpg
Latest news
23 Jun 2026
London-based high-performance fitness club, ONE LDN, is raising funds for a multi-site expansion across London,
22 Jun 2026
A new brain clinic has opened in London, which uses non-invasive brain stimulation to treat
22 Jun 2026
Good Boost’s digital exercise programmes are helping adults with MSK at a lower cost than
22 Jun 2026
With Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announcing his resignation this morning and Andy Burnham as a
22 Jun 2026
Koru Health Club launched recently within Luxembourg’s multi-experience destination, GRID X, which combines culture, retail
19 Jun 2026
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Elevate has had its busiest show to date, with almost 200
Elevate is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary in style this June, with organisers confirming
19 Jun 2026
A new report from Your Personal Training (YPT) suggests UK gym operators could be missing
19 Jun 2026
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives,
18 Jun 2026
Elevate Arena is underway at London's Excel and the hot topic of AI was the
16 Jun 2026
PureGym Group has announced that group chief financial officer, Alex Wood, is taking over the
15 Jun 2026
Independent operator, Fitness Worx Gyms, is introducing private blood testing as a service to members.
15 Jun 2026
International industry lobbying associations are calling for physical activity and strength training to be deeply
One of the biggest mistakes operators in the fitness industry still make is advertising almost
12 Jun 2026
Global group exercise specialist, Les Mills, is inviting operators to sign up to its Workout
12 Jun 2026
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider, HUM2N, to launch
10 Jun 2026
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, is gearing up to unveil its most significant redevelopment
10 Jun 2026
Researchers in the US have identified an antibody which could greatly reduce the loss of
09 Jun 2026
Peloton has made the strategic acquisition of Pilates start-up, Skōp, to support the expansion of
09 Jun 2026
Crunch Fitness has announced the launch of Crunch Reform Pilates – its own reformer concept
CoverMe, the global leader in fitness workforce management, today launches CoverMe PT, an on-demand personal
08 Jun 2026
The 20th State of the Industry Report from LeisureDB has revealed a resilient, expanding and
08 Jun 2026
Purpose Brands has announced its entry into the Italian market, having sold the franchise rights
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Starpool supports Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs, says Riccardo Turri
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Greg Bradley looks at the shift towards strength training in gyms and advises on how operators can create the ultimate training environment
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
SnowDome Fitness has added 50 per cent more space with cutting-edge Technogym solutions
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
David Lloyd is stepping up its commitment to women’s health as it continues to explore what fit-for-purpose looks like for the female population
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Find out how your gym can tap into the corporate wellness boom
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Third Space partnered with IndigoFitness to deliver a
bespoke training space for its new club at The Whiteley
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
EGYM has opened a new HQ in Paternoster Square,
London and revealed a range of new launches
HCM promotional features
Promotion
BLK BOX has been reimagining elite performance
spaces for more than a decade. Founder and
former athlete, Greg Bradley, tells us what it takes
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Active IQ is calling for greater accountability in online fitness advice with the launch of a new trustmark
HCM promotional features
HCM magazine
Small improvements to sleep, diet and physical activity have major benefits for the heart, according to new research from the University of Sydney
HCM magazine
If the health service is to
survive, we must recognise
that it is a disease service
– and that wellbeing rests with
us, says the activity advocate
and healthy ageing champion.
He talks to Kate Cracknell
HCM magazine
HCM People
Stephen Price
Founder, SP&Co Group“Working in public health over the last few years has lit up parts of my brain again”
HCM magazine
Strength training is evolving,
driven by changing consumer
preferences. Julie Cramer talks
to innovators about how their
products are meeting this demand
HCM magazine
HCM People
Jamie Clements
The Breath Coach“I experienced a blissful feeling of joy I hadn’t felt since I was a kid”
HCM magazine
Collaborations with the medical profession and greater aspirations around wellbeing are creating a need for more experts in our sector. It’s time to reboot our thinking around the workforce
HCM magazine
As the entrepreneur who started Wexer, Fresh Fitness, Fitness DK and Repeat, as well as being a former elite athlete, Rasmus Ingerslev’s life looked perfect from the outside, but onthe inside it was a different story. He talks to Kath Hudson about healing old wounds
HCM magazine
For every member with a tripod and a big following, there are others irritated at the way equipment is being hogged or wary they’ll be in the background on someone’s Insta feed. Do influencers offer valuable, free marketing or are they just a nuisance? Kath Hudson finds out how operators are responding
HCM magazine
Raphael Cuomo explores the
powerful link between addiction,
health and behaviour change
HCM magazine
With corporately-owned clubs,
franchise networks, investments
and proprietary tech, Viva Leisure’s
ecosystem is redefining how
gyms scale and generate revenue.
Its CEO speaks to Kate Cracknell
HCM magazine
HCM People
Deena Gillan
Chair of UK Active’s Independent Council and GM at 3-1-5“There are so many dedicated people in the independent sector – they work hard because they’re passionate about changing lives”
HCM magazine
Read the latest issue
Opinion
promotion
“Strength training has moved from the margins to the mainstream.”
Featured supplier news
One of the biggest mistakes the fitness industry still makes is advertising almost
exclusively to people who already look and live like gym members.
Featured supplier news
As healthcare continues to shift towards prevention, there’s a growing focus on helping
people stay active, independent and feeling good for longer.
Company profiles
Absolute Performance is one of the UK’s leading gym design and installation companies. We install ...
Company profiles
Sprung Gym Flooring a trusted brand who specialise in high-performance, durable, non-slip rubber gym flooring, ...
Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
Directory
Water experiences and hydrotherapy solutions
Fitness tracking platform
Lockers
Spa and beauty equipment
Industrial washing machines
Hot tubs
Property & Tenders
Stratford, East London.
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Property & Tenders
Diary dates
22-23 Jun 2026
WX Wakefield , Wakefield, United Kingdom
Diary dates
21-24 Sep 2026
The Langham Huntington Pasadena , Pasadena, United States
Diary dates
Search news, features & products:
Find a supplier:
