Traditional overlay thinking treats temporary infrastructure as a last-minute challenge, something to retrofit when events arrive. But what if we flipped this approach entirely?
When designing new venues, we're advocating for ‘overlay-first’ thinking. Instead of asking ‘how do we make this work for an event?’ let’s ask ‘what events might this venue host in 20 years, and how do we provision for them now?'
This means considering everything from slab ratings for temporary grandstands to roof structure that can support broadcast equipment. It's about planning electrical distribution for different field configurations, ensuring door widths accommodate equipment access, planning wall assemblies to accommodate cable penetrations and even provisioning backup power solutions.
"Rather than building permanent venues that may sit empty post-event, we have the capability to innovate and develop solutions that prioritise long-term value for host cities future events needs from the outset," explains Mark Cutler, Global Director of Overlay at Trivandi.
“The cost savings are significant. At Gold Coast 2018, we co-funded LED lighting upgrades during overlay installation. The velodrome now benefits from superior lighting and reduced electricity consumption long after the Games ended. We widened a pitch entry for the ceremony’s trucks, providing on-going enhanced pitch access, and added pavements for large Broadcast compounds that now provides additional parking at venues. Every venue adaptation we made created lasting operational value.”
Consider SoFi Stadium in the US. Originally built for NFL, hosting LA28 swimming will require complex, expensive retrofitting. Imagine if Olympic requirements had been considered during initial design.
Smart overlay design isn't just about temporary infrastructure. It's about creating venues that adapt, evolve, and deliver value across their entire lifecycle—avoiding white elephant scenarios while maximising community benefit.