Chimney stadium

62,000 fans, a retrac­table roof and urban life around the stadium: the Power­house Stadium will be Birming­ham’s new center for sport and culture. And tells the indus­trial history of the city into the future. As a new land­mark.

With the planned Power­house Stadium, Birmingham is about to embark on one of the most ambi­tious stadium and urban deve­lo­p­ment projects in the UK. The multi­func­tional large-scale project in the east of the city will seat 62,000 spec­ta­tors and will be the new home of second divi­sion club Birmingham City Foot­ball Club. It will replace the tradi­tional St. Andrew’s Stadium, located 1.5 km to the west, and will form the heart of the new Birmingham Sports Quarter from 2030.

The project pays homage to Birming­ham’s indus­trial past and trans­lates this into a striking archi­tec­tural language. The defi­ning element are twelve high, chimney-like towers, which are remi­nis­cent of the former brick produc­tion at the site (Birmingham Wheels Park). Where possible, historic bricks are to be reused.

The towers, known as “chim­neys”, take on several func­tions: They support the roof, house stairs and eleva­tors and are part of a passive venti­la­tion concept.

The Power­house Stadium is being desi­gned by Heather­wick Studio in colla­bo­ra­tion with MANICA.

Inside, the Power­house Stadium focuses on an intense spec­tator expe­ri­ence. The steep, compact spec­tator bowl brings the fans as close as possible to the pitch and creates an enclosed atmo­sphere. High-perfor­mance acou­stic solu­tions are desi­gned to enhance the atmo­sphere while limi­ting noise pollu­tion for the surroun­ding area.

A closable roof and a movable pitch enable flexible forms of use and a wide variety of events, from soccer and other sports to inter­na­tional concerts and major events. This clearly posi­tions the stadium as a multi­func­tional arena that can be used all year round.

The central concern of all those involved is to fill the stadium with life not only on match days. A publicly acces­sible urban space is being created around the Power­house Stadium that can be used throug­hout the week. The plans include food markets, restau­rants, cafés, recrea­tion areas and play areas for children. The stadium will thus become a social meeting place and an inte­gral part of the neigh­bor­hood.

As the anchor project of the Birmingham Sports Quarter, the new stadium will have an impact far beyond soccer. In addi­tion to the stadium, trai­ning centers for compe­ti­tive and youth sports as well as mixed-use neigh­bor­hood deve­lo­p­ments are planned.

Comple­tion of the Power­house Stadium is ambi­tiously sche­duled for the start of the 2030/2031 season. A compre­hen­sive parti­ci­pa­tion program with fans and local resi­dents is due to start this year.

With its strong connec­tion to the local iden­tity, inno­va­tive engi­nee­ring and a clear opening to the city, the Power­house Stadium sees itself as Birming­ham’s new land­mark.

And on a grand scale.

Heather­wick Studio

Manica

Birmingham City Foot­ball Club

Opening

2025

Render

Heather­wick Studio
Mir
Devi­sual

Johannes Bühl­be­cker
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