{"id":151124,"date":"2025-11-21T01:23:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T01:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/151124\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T01:23:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T01:23:17","slug":"heatherwick-studio-plans-birmingham-stadium-around-twelve-chimney-like-towers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/151124\/","title":{"rendered":"heatherwick studio plans birmingham stadium around twelve chimney-like towers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A NEW STADIUM FOR BIRMINGHAM CITY FOOTBALL CLUB<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/thomas-heatherwick\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Heatherwick Studio<\/a> and MANICA Architecture introduce their design for a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/stadium-architecture-and-design\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">stadium<\/a> for Birmingham City Football Club at Bordesley Green in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/architecture-in-the-uk\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">East Birmingham<\/a>. The announcement has come in time for the club\u2019s 150th anniversary and will be the centerpiece of an ambitious plan for the wider Birmingham Sports Quarter.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The scheme positions the stadium as a central civic element for the district, drawing from the city\u2019s material heritage and industrial landscape. Early images show a structure shaped by mass and texture rather than surface expression, bringing a clear architectural identity to the project.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1165628 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"heatherwick studio plans birmingham stadium around twelve chimney-like towers\" width=\"818\" height=\"462\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/birmingham-powerhouse-stadium-designboom-01.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>visualizations \u00a9 mir<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>HEATHERWICK STUDIO DRAWS FROM THE CITY\u2019S INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The design by <a href=\"https:\/\/heatherwick.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Heatherwick Studio<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/manica.global\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">MANICA Architecture<\/a> orients the stadium in Birmingham around twelve chimney-like towers that rise from the ground plane and support the roof. Heatherwick Studio draws from Birmingham\u2019s history of brickmaking, using reclaimed bricks where possible to give these structural elements a layered, tactile presence. Their scale defines the outer form while shaping light, airflow, and movement inside the building.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Each chimney accommodates circulation or environmental functions. Some contain lifts and staircases, while others contribute to passive ventilation. One tower will carry visitors to an elevated bar with panoramic views across Birmingham, carving a vertical public room into the stadium\u2019s profile.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1165629 lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"heatherwick studio plans birmingham stadium around twelve chimney-like towers\" width=\"818\" height=\"614\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/birmingham-powerhouse-stadium-designboom-02.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>INTERIORS BY MANICA<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Inside, MANICA guides the bowl configuration with a steep arrangement that brings supporters close to the pitch. The geometry creates a cohesive enclosure intended to concentrate sound and energy. The roof, engineered for adaptability, retracts when required, while the moveable pitch extends the venue\u2019s use beyond football.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Acoustics played a central role in the design process. The chimney structures shape the movement of sound, lifting crowd noise upward while reducing its reach into nearby neighborhoods. The result is a controlled, resonant environment that prioritizes matchday atmosphere while remaining sensitive to the surrounding district.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1165630 lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"heatherwick studio plans birmingham stadium around twelve chimney-like towers\" width=\"818\" height=\"1022\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/birmingham-powerhouse-stadium-designboom-03.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Around the stadium, Heatherwick Studio develops a ground-level environment conceived as an active civic space throughout the week. The plan includes food markets, caf\u00e9s, informal seating, and children\u2019s play areas, giving the site the character of a local gathering place rather than a closed sports venue.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Paths, shaded pockets, and open surfaces guide movement toward the entrances while encouraging visitors to linger. The ambition is to create a continuous public realm where the stadium acts as a social anchor for East Birmingham and not just a destination on matchdays.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1165631 lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"heatherwick studio plans birmingham stadium around twelve chimney-like towers\" width=\"818\" height=\"1023\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/birmingham-powerhouse-stadium-designboom-05.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Around the stadium, Heatherwick Studio develops a ground-level environment conceived as an active civic space throughout the week. The plan includes food markets, caf\u00e9s, informal seating, and children\u2019s play areas, giving the site the character of a local gathering place rather than a closed sports venue.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Paths, shaded pockets, and open surfaces guide movement toward the entrances while encouraging visitors to linger. The ambition is to create a continuous public realm where the stadium acts as a social anchor for East Birmingham and not just a destination on matchdays.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1165634 lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"heatherwick studio plans birmingham stadium around twelve chimney-like towers\" width=\"818\" height=\"462\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/birmingham-powerhouse-stadium-designboom-04.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A NEW STADIUM FOR BIRMINGHAM CITY FOOTBALL CLUB \u00a0 Heatherwick Studio and MANICA Architecture introduce their design for&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":151125,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[85442,307,304,305,306,308,93,61,60,28569,85443],"class_list":{"0":"post-151124","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-architecture-in-the-uk","9":"tag-arts","10":"tag-arts-and-design","11":"tag-artsanddesign","12":"tag-artsdesign","13":"tag-design","14":"tag-entertainment","15":"tag-ie","16":"tag-ireland","17":"tag-stadium-architecture-and-design","18":"tag-thomas-heatherwick"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151124"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151124\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}