2026 Impact INTL: Australia/New Zealand Honoree: Simon Anson

Simon Anson
Principal
Grimshaw

FAVOURITE MUSICIAN / BAND AS A TEENAGER: ”Classic Australian bands such as Crowded House, Powderfinger and You Am I were favourites.”

Architecture and design firm Grimshaw operates in London, New York, Paris, Dubai, Sydney, Melbourne, Los Angeles and Auckland. In 2025 it worked on an upgrade for the 53,000-seat multiuse Marvel Stadium in Melbourne’s Docklands.

Working with the Australian Football League, it included the creation of City Edge and Stadium Square, with revamped concourses, entrances, function rooms, F&B amenities and guest services.
Grimshaw’s global sports and venue projects include the Wimbledon Masterplan and No. 1 Court, Parramatta Aquatic Centre, Lord’s Grandstand, The Curragh Racecourse, Aston Villa Park, Aviva Arena Birmingham, and the Qiddiya Gaming & Esports Precinct.

“Being from Melbourne, and as a football and music fan, working on Marvel Stadium in my hometown has been a definite highlight,” says Simon Anson, a principal at the firm.

He says thrills over the last year included seeing Marvel recognised by Pollstar as one of the world’s top 10 stadiums; that the upgrade helped the stadium “support the growth of women’s sport in Australia, particularly the (AFL Women’s league); and the practice’s approach to venues of upgrading them rather than demolishing and replacing them because they “hold deep social and cultural meaning for their communities.”

“The ongoing challenge in building future resilience is to ensure that we provide cost-effective and well-connected access to these venues,” he says. “As a practice, we are working on a number of major public transport developments, from airports to the metro systems of Auckland and Sydney, that will help support major venues within these busy urban centres.”

Grimshaw will continue to develop its sports and cultural work globally, alongside its established transport and aviation business.
Anson is leading the practice’s work in the Middle East, “particularly in Saudi Arabia, where the Kingdom establishes itself as a major international events hub.”