A NEW STADIUM FOR BIRMINGHAM CITY FOOTBALL CLUB
Heatherwick Studio and MANICA Architecture introduce their design for a new stadium for Birmingham City Football Club at Bordesley Green in East Birmingham. The announcement has come in time for the club’s 150th anniversary and will be the centerpiece of an ambitious plan for the wider Birmingham Sports Quarter.
The scheme positions the stadium as a central civic element for the district, drawing from the city’s 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.
visualizations © mir
HEATHERWICK STUDIO DRAWS FROM THE CITY’S INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE
The design by Heatherwick Studio and MANICA Architecture 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’s 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.
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’s profile.
INTERIORS BY MANICA
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’s use beyond football.
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.
Around the stadium, Heatherwick Studio develops a ground-level environment conceived as an active civic space throughout the week. The plan includes food markets, cafés, informal seating, and children’s play areas, giving the site the character of a local gathering place rather than a closed sports venue.
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.
Around the stadium, Heatherwick Studio develops a ground-level environment conceived as an active civic space throughout the week. The plan includes food markets, cafés, informal seating, and children’s play areas, giving the site the character of a local gathering place rather than a closed sports venue.
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.
