South Africa has promised a distinctively African 2010 World Cup. And, wrapped in a giant calabash shell, the FNB Stadium will certainly look the part for the tournament's finale.
The proposed design for the stadium that will host Africa's first World Cup final is a unique, eye-catching one, with the stadium set to hold a capacity of at least 94 000.
Danny Jordaan, chief executive officer of the SA 2010 World Cup's Local Organising Committee (LOC), said on Friday the revamped FNB Stadium would be the global symbol of the tournament in four years' time.
"What is typical of a modern event nowadays is that every host country is building at least one or two flagship stadiums. An iconic stadium is part of leaving a legacy of the event. It's important to have a physical manifestation of an African World Cup in 2010, and the FNB Stadium will become the worldwide symbol of the World Cup in Africa.
"In Germany, at the 2006 World Cup, everyone was talking about the Munich stadium with its cushioned dome which could change colour at night.
"At the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the flagship stadium will be the National Stadium with its bowl-shaped bird's nest made of bamboo.
"Having a spectacular flagship won't come cheap, however. It comes at a cost, obviously. The cost of upgrading the existing FNB Stadium will be in the region of R1,2-billion - almost equal to the cost of a new stadium," said Jordaan.
The FNB is one of the stadiums that will host the 2009 Soccer Confederations Cup, so it will need to be completed before June 2009.
Moira Tlhagale, the leader of the 2010 LOC's technical team, said that yesterday was the deadline for submissions of designs for the country's 10 World Cup stadiums.
Next week the team will review the designs and costs and ensure the stadium designs submitted comply with Fifa regulations.
The technical team will then meet with the various city representatives and stadium owners. Contractors are likely to start tendering for the contracts to build or upgrade stadiums by mid-October, once agreement has been reached on budgets between the National Treasury, local government authorities and the LOC.
Tlhagale said the FNB, designed by architects Boogertman & Associates, would be a "beautiful stadium", adding: "The calabash concept gives the stadium a real African feel."
