Aviva Stadium, Lansdowne Road, Dublin
The Aviva Stadium is a sporting stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 51,700 spectators (all seated).
The stadium, set in the midst of Dublin’s streets and built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in March 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the Republic of Ireland national football team. Previously called Lansdowne Road Stadium, the recently renovated Aviva Stadium is the oldest international stadium in the world.
The stadium, located adjacent to Lansdowne Road railway station, officially opened on 14 May 2010. The stadium is Ireland’s first, and only, UEFA Elite Stadium and in 2011, it hosted the Europa League Final.
In designing the 50,000-seat sports park Populous and Scott Tallon Walker Architects sought to minimize the structure’s environmental footprint as much as possible. The sweeping roof of the stadium does double duty in terms of green features – it’s constructed from sturdy transparent materials that shelter the interior while allowing daylight to seep in, and it harvests rainwater to irrigate the sports field. The north end of the stadium features a smooth slope that dips to allow daylight to reach nearby residences, and a smart set of efficient fixtures conserve energy — for instance, the escalators only operate when people are standing on them.
Everything about Aviva Stadium, from its architecture to its environmentally friendly design, has been inspired by the best ideas around the world to create a truly innovative sporting venue.
In 2007, Dublin’s famous Lansdowne Road stadium (then the world’s oldest international rugby stadium) was demolished to make way for the construction of a new stadium that would take Ireland’s national soccer and rugby teams into a home fit for the 21st century.
PJ Edwards were engaged by BAM Contractors to carry out the piling works as part of the enabling works package. A total of 1468 No. 350, 450, 600 & 750mm CFA bearing piles with SWL of 750-4000kN were installed.
All piles were founded at depths between 6-12m into the underlying limestone bedrock. The works also included double corrosion protected permanent holding down anchors to support the stadium roof.