Plans have been revealed for an ambitious new stadium for English soccer team Manchester United that's designed by prestigious studio Foster + Partners. The stadium will be topped by a large covering likened to an umbrella that will improve energy efficiency.
The stadium is part of a larger regeneration of the Old Trafford area of Manchester that's home to the famous soccer team and will be located next to its 115-year-old current stadium – there's no word yet as to what the plans are for that original building exactly, but perhaps it'll find a new purpose as a museum.
As mentioned, the stadium will be topped by a large umbrella-like structure. This will lend it a somewhat circus tent-like appearance and will be used to harvest both solar power and rainwater, cutting down on grid-based energy requirements. The stadium will host 100,000 spectators, which is a significant increase on the existing stadium's capacity of just over 74,000.
There will also be a large public plaza and the idea is to upgrade the surrounding area with improved transport links, plus up to 17,000 new homes could be created.
"Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world's greatest football stadium, at the center of a regenerated Old Trafford," said Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United. "Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport. By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience only footsteps from our historic home."
The building will be prefabricated and shipped to the site in 160 components along a neighboring canal and, all going well, it's expected to be finished in around five years. According to the BBC, the stadium's price tag is expected at around £2 billion (roughly US$2.6 billion).
Foster + Partners certainly has experience when it comes to designing big projects like this and has previously created the Lusail Stadium for the Qatar World Cup soccer tournament final.
Sources: Foster + Partners, Manchester United
