Yesterday it was announced that Premier League football club giants Manchester United are planning a huge £2 billion stadium project which would regenerate Manchester and give the club the best stadium in the world.
It’s been well reported that the current stadium Old Trafford isn’t quite living up to the high standards the club expects – and on the pitch performances have probably been just as bad, if not worse. The stadium has a roof which leaks, and whilst it can hold over 74,000 fans the club’s owners feel it’s time for a rebuild.
The Architects behind the new design
The architects who are behind the new design are Foster + Partners, a very large and world-famous British architecture firm with a HQ in London.
Considered to be one of the best architects in the world, offering architecture, engineering, urban and landscape design which is rooted in sustainability, it looks like the struggling football club have pinned their hopes on rebuilding their club via a complete new stadium build.
The Olympia Stadion in Munch by Frei Otto – which is believed to have influenced the architects design of the new Old Trafford stadium (image copyright SenHormario on Flickr)
Football Fan feedback on the new Stadium
It’s fair to say the fan’s feedback on social media hasn’t exactly been kind on the design – with many likening the design to that of the Skyline Pavilion in Butlins – or comparing it (rather cruely) to something that Homer Simpson might have designed.
It’s fair to say jokes aside there hasn’t been a huge amount of constructive feedback – and I think whilst fans of the club are excited to see the owners begin to invest again, I think most of them just want to see an investment being made in the playing staff so the club can kick-on again.
My Thoughts on the new Man United Stadium Design
As an architect with experience on working on various projects relating to the London Olympics, including a Boating Pavilion at Hyde Park, a temporary Shooting Range and a BMW Pavilion, I thought I would share my own thoughts on the proposed new design.
In terms of design, Norman Foster has revealed a new stadium for Manchester United that is reminiscent of the radical designs from the 1960s and 1970s of Frei Otto and Buckminster Fuller.
The large cable net type structure is like a tent that stretches over both new public space outside the stadium and the building itself.
It is very welcome that the stadium will not be surrounded by car parks.
The three spikes that give the net a shape and keep it in tension are like minarets that extend into the sky and help to create the iconic nature that the owners of the club are looking for.
The stadium is part of a wider regeneration project that seems to be on a scale of the Olympic Park with a large boulevard leading to the stadium.
One does wonder why Manchester United and Manchester City cannot share a stadium like Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 where the ETFE skin of the building changed colour depending on who was playing. Unfortunately, this arrangement ended in 2017.
However, given the £2 billion price tag for United’s stadium, and the impact on the city you would think a sharing agreement would have been worth exploring.
The big question is will this development be good for the people of Manchester and the city?
Given that stadiums are empty a lot of the time, will this project be an engine for regeneration or will it be a white elephant?
Details of the Proposed New Stadium
Capacity: The new stadium, tentatively named “New Trafford,” is planned to accommodate 100,000 spectators, making it the largest in the UK.
Design Features
Trident Masts
Three towering masts, each 200 meters high, will rise from the structure, forming a trident-like appearance visible from 40 miles away.
Canopy
A vast, tent-like canopy will cover the stadium, designed to harvest energy and rainwater, and shelter a public plaza twice the size of London’s Trafalgar Square.
Acoustics
The design aims to cultivate a “huge roar,” enhancing the match-day atmosphere.
Surrounding Development
The stadium will serve as the centerpiece of a sustainable district, envisioned as a “mixed-use miniature city of the future,” featuring residential, entertainment, business, and educational facilities.
The project is expected to create 92,000 new jobs and over 17,000 new homes, contributing an additional £7.3 billion per year to the UK economy.
Construction Timeline
Utilising prefabrication techniques, large components will be built off-site and transported via Manchester’s canal network, aiming to complete the project within five years.
