Amid the grandstanding, Sydney’s new stadium leaves same issues unresolved

Walking into Sydney’s new Allianz Stadium feels a bit like walking into an old house with new fixtures. Everything is a bit brighter and works a little better – the couch somehow feels closer to the TV and that pesky leak in the roof has stopped – but the foundations are much the same.

That isn’t all that surprising given the architectural firm that designed the old 42,500-capacity venue is the same firm that designed the new 42,500-capacity venue. But it does prompt a query: if a stadium is demolished and rebuilt to look strikingly similar, was it rebuilt at all? If the New South Wales government had not spent $828m on it, could we say it had really happened?

At Sunday’s official opening the premier, Dominic Perrottet, called the political pawn that is the new Allianz “a world-class stadium for our world-class people”. It is almost impossible to argue the new structure does not feature some world-class elements. The roof is superb and, for any past patron who ever braved the rain to get to the old Allianz only to spend another 80 to 90 minutes sitting under the downpour, undoubtedly necessary.

The steep seating angles, set on the same gradient as those at CommBank Stadium, bring supporters demonstrably closer to the pitch than the old bays, which tended to flatten the atmosphere. The design of the seats themselves, by the renowned Indigenous artist Tony Albert, is genuinely diverting.

Also addressed are the safety and accessibility concerns that informed Gladys Berejiklian’s decision as premier in 2017 to fund the replacement stadium, with a sizeable increase in the number of female toilets and wheelchair and companion-accessible seats.

In all, the changes breathe new life into a space previously occupied by an outdated