Melbourne Cup Carnival opens a new era with VRC’s stunning Club Stand

The 2018 Melbourne Cup may have been run and won, and while very few of the race’s 24-hour experts will even remember the winner’s name a week later, a far more enduring legacy will Flemington Racecourse’s stunning new Club Stand.

Opened on November 1 in advance of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the beautiful, five-level building – Flemington’s 10th grandstand, in a history dating to 1865 – was designed by Australian architects Bates Smart.

The white building oozes an art deco charm, though its oval shape is inspired by that of the racecourse itself, with its “petal” adornments (actually, precast concrete panels, weighing up to 30 tonnes each) play cleverly on Flemington’s signature rose gardens, and the floral ‘fascinators’ that are worn on race days.

The Club Stand offers 360-degree views over the racecourse, Members Lawn, Betting Ring, Parade Ring and Mounting Yard, while the Roof Garden extends view to Melbourne’s city skyline. The floor-to-ceiling, curved glass walls and expansive interior design provide clearer sightlines to the racecourse and a flexible, light-filled interior space for events.

A north-south corridor runs through the heart of the Club Stand, linking the Betting Rin with the Members Lawn and Mounting Yard, while on the first level, an exterior walkway surrounds the building and connects to the existing Members Grandstand and Parade Ring.