Back in 2016, Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) unveiled a stunning wooden stadium for the English soccer team Forest Green Rovers. Now, having finally received planning permission on the second attempt, the ambitious sustainable project is set to go ahead.
The Forest Green Rovers Eco Park Stadium will, according to ZHA, be the "world's first all-timber soccer stadium." It will be constructed almost entirely of sustainably-sourced timber, with a transparent roof membrane to mitigate shadows and an interior that highlights the natural beauty of the wood. Its overall shape and the position of its 5,000 seats have been calculated by ZHA to provide spectators with excellent views of the pitch.
To further boost its sustainable credentials, Forest Green Rovers Eco Park Stadium will be partly-powered by on-site renewable energy generation.
Indeed, Forest Green Rovers calls itself "the greenest football club in the world" and its current stadium offers an all-vegan menu and has been upgraded with electric vehicle charging points, rainwater collection, solar panels, and an organically-grown pitch.
Despite all this, the project, which is part of a larger development in Gloucestershire called Eco Park, originally failed to receive planning permission earlier this year, in part due to concerns over an expected increase in noise and traffic in the immediate area.
According to Dezeen, ZHA tweaked the design slightly to include an all-weather pitch and new landscaping, as well as an improved match day transportation plan. This did the trick and the Forest Green Rovers Eco Park Stadium is now due to be constructed. Completion is expected to take at least three years.
Sources: ZHA, Forest Green Rovers
