Standing on the point of the old arrivals terminal of Kai Tak Airport, Al Baxter, the Wallaby turned stadium designer, is pointing out the perilous descent that jumbo jets used to take into Hong Kong.
The white and orange markings on Checkerboard Hill told the pilots when they needed to execute a sharp 47-degree turn, weaving between the high-rise apartment blocks on their descent to one of the world’s scariest landing strips.
‘They say you could see right into people’s living rooms from the plane,’ explains Baxter, who was part of the Australia team that lost to England in the 2003 World Cup final. The airport shut down in 1999 and for years the 28-hectare plot has been laid to waste.
Last weekend, however, the area came back to life. The brand-new Kai Tak Stadium opened to the world to host the city’s biggest party at the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sevens. A shimmering bowl of an arena that has already been nicknamed ‘The Pearl of the Orient’.
It was designed by Populous, the architects behind the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, who will also be working on the upcoming redevelopment of Twickenham. Baxter, a 69-cap prop, is one of their designers. It is a world away from his days playing under Eddie Jones
‘Eddie was an insomniac,’ says Baxter. ‘So his first meeting would be 6am and his last meeting would be at 10 o’clock at night. He’d be up at 4.35am starting to work… which would catch a lot of blokes out when they come home late!
Hong Kong’s brand-new 50,000-seater arena Kai Tak Stadium (above) opened to the world to host the city’s biggest party at the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sevens this week
A rich variety of supporters watch on in anticipation from the Kai Tak Stadium’s south stand
Al Baxter (left) pictured alongside Australia team-mate Chris Latham at the 2007 World Cup
‘After every Test match, he used to have kangaroo courts. He was one of the best coaches to work with at the time. He was all about the details. All the little details matter. So if you stuff up a heap of little details, you’re not getting the big stuff right. So all of that is the same now. You’ve got to get all the little details right.’
The detail at the new Kai Tak Stadium includes everything from lavender plants in the surrounding parkland to internal acoustics that amplify the sound created by crowds of up to 50,000. The Kaiser Chiefs and Pete Tong played over the weekend and Coldplay are among the headline acts arriving over the coming months. Nestled in the middle of residential blocks, the stadium has been built with a sliding, sound-proofing roof to prevent noise leakage.
Next up, the former Wallaby will be offering his voice on the redevelopment of Twickenham. An unlikely destiny for the man whose English colleagues often send him the picture of Jonny Wilkinson’s famous drop goal flying over his shoulder.
Sound complaints from local Twickenham residents has prevented the RFU from being granted lucrative concert licenses, so do not be surprised if similar roofing installations are discussed for the upcoming redevelopment in South West London.
‘In the Principality Stadium you can feel the noise in your chest – we wanted to create the same here,’ says Baxter. ‘Hearing the crowd boost your adrenaline. I’ve played at the MCG in front of 90,000, but because you’re so far from the edges, you don’t get the same atmosphere as a tight 20,000 stadium.
‘It’s all about the atmosphere and the experience, because that doesn’t cost money. And it’s been a great success here in Hong Kong. We use open concourses too, as when people go to buy a beer they often miss a try or a goal. We want them to see the game, as it’s about being connected to what’s happening on the field.’
There are plans to install a ferry terminal to smoothly ship guests to the luxurious surroundings of the Regent Hotel in Victoria Harbour and beyond. Similar proposals have been made for boat service at Twickenham.
The new South Stand, backing onto the harbour, was a resounding success at this weekend’s event. It bounced with revellers in fancy-dress, flying in from all corners of the world to tick off one of rugby’s bucket-list events. It is one of the great new arenas and now there are talks to bring some of the rugby’s biggest XVs matches to the venue.
Baxter (left) cuts a dejected figure after England celebrate their 2003 World Cup final triumph
The stadium’s new South Stand (above), backing onto the harbour, was a resounding success at the event. It bounced with revellers in fancy-dress, flying in from all corners of the world
A general view of the outside of the Kai Tak Stadium’s South Stand at Saturday’s event
It was designed by Populous, the architects behind the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (above)
Next up, the former Wallaby will be offering his voice on the redevelopment of Twickenham
‘One of the things I know is being tossed up at the moment is the Nations Cup finals,’ reveals Baxter. ‘I see this as a perfect venue for Nations Cup. It’s 12 hours from the UK on Cathay Pacific, and nine from Australia.
‘If you’re looking for a location which has lots of accommodation, is easily accessible by all the teams, has got a fantastic sporting culture in terms of rugby sporting culture, then this would be a fantastic neutral venue. There are massive amounts of expats from all across the Western world and I know Hong Kong’s really keen.’
The discussions have been backed by World Rugby, with CEO Alan Gilpin publicly voicing his support. A warm-up Test on the way to the 2029 Lions tour in New Zealand has also been mooted. Gilpin adds: ‘The beauty of this is when the Lions did come through here, it would have been 2013 on the way to Australia. It was so hot that no one could hold the ball, it was like a bar of soap. Now if you close the roof, it would be a brilliant spectacle.’
Around 110,000 fans walked through the stadium’s shiny new doors over the weekend. Most of them, you suspect, have already booked their ticket to come back.
Nik Simon flew to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific. They fly from Hong Kong from London Heathrow up to five times a day, and from Manchester Airport up to seven times a week. cathaypacific.com
