The Brazil 2014 Cup stadium with probably the closest existing links to Australia, thanks to the involvement of specialist architecture group Populous, which boasts several high profile Australian designers and projects such as ANZ Stadium (formerly Stadium Australia), is finally set to move off the drawing board with the Natal city government announcing the construction selection process will begin next week.
One of the most ambitious plans of all Cup 2014 preparations, the Arena das Dunas (Arena of the Dunes) stadium and surrounds project will see the development of a 45,000 capacity multi-use facility as the centrepiece of a new entertainment and accommodation hub for the city of Natal, in the north-eastern state of Rio Grande do Norte. Australian Christopher Lee, based in Populous’s New York office, is the lead designer for the stadium project.
The masterplan involves the redevelopment of the entire area and includes refurbished government offices, hotels, shopping centres, commercial premises, residential areas, a convention centre, green leisure areas and an artificial lake.
Further details of the construction tender will be provided as soon as released, likely in the first week of September.
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Known as the "City of Sun", Natal's history began when the Portuguese built the "Fortress of the Magic Kings" on the 6th of January, 1598. Featuring beautiful beaches and sand dunes, Natal is now considered one of the most modern and safest cities in Brazil and attracts tourists from all over the world. It has a population of just over 800,000 and is the capital of Brazil closest to Europe and Africa.