AAMI Park, the home ground of the Melbourne Rebels is the capital city’s exciting new 31,000-seat state-of-the-art Rectangular Stadium at Olympic Park. Set on the Yarra’s edge in green parkland, the stunning exterior design of the stadium was created by the world-renowned, Cox Architects and will become an integral piece of the sports and entertainment fabric allowing Melbourne to host any sports or entertainment event of any shape or size.
AAMI Park has been designed with a unique and dynamic form that is innovative and memorable, a first for Melbourne and the world. At the heart of the design is the Bioframe, a lightweight steel design based on the inherent structural efficiencies of the dome. This uses 50% less steel than a typical cantilever roof structure.
This structure is then skinned in a triangular panelised façade that can be made up with a combination of glass, metal and louvers, as well as potential for photovoltaic cells. Together, the Bioframe and the skin form a highly sculptural, non industrial object. A new image for a stadium that moves away from industrial aesthetic to sculptural design.
Plans for Melbourne's new rectangular stadium were originally brought to light in 2005 when Melbourne was bidding against Perth for the right to host Australia's new Super 14 Rugby team. Although Melbourne wasn’t awarded the team, plans were later released on 6th April 2006 to build the stadium with a smaller 20,000 capacity, however construction was delayed due to concerns the stadium would be too small, mainly by the Melbourne Victory Football Club.
On 23rd May 2007, Victorian Premier Steve Bracks announced the stadium would be built with an expanded capacity of over 30,000 seats. Construction began in late 2007 and was anticipated to take two years. The completion date was delayed by a few months but AAMI Park officially opened its doors on May 7th 2010 with a crowd of 29,442 attending the match.
The Melbourne Rebels share the home ground with NRL club Melbourne Storm, and A-League teams, Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart.