New 62,000-seat Birmingham stadium to anchor major city redevelopment

The ambition is for the new stadium to be completed in time for the start of the 2030/2031 football season. Image: Devisual & Mir for Heatherwick Studio

The designs for the proposed new stadium have been released by Heatherwick Studio, in partnership with MANICA.

At the heart of the concept are 12 chimney-like structures, inspired by the site’s longstanding history of brick manufacturing. Using reclaimed bricks wherever possible, the structures directly support the roof and serve multiple purposes, creating a silhouette that connects the stadium to housing lifts and staircases, and acting as part of the stadium’s passive ventilation strategy.

Heatherwick Studio will also be responsible for the architecture, structure, chimneys, and public realm as well as the interior design for the project. MANICA, a global leader in sport and entertainment design, is bringing US-style stadium experiences to the UK by leading the stadium’s functional design, including the seating bowl and level-by-level layouts.

It was said at the stadium’s launch that it would be visible from 40 miles away.

The new stadium would have a capacity of 62,000. Image: Devisual & Mir for Heatherwick Studio

The ambition is for the new stadium to be completed in time for the start of the 2030/2031 football season. A public engagement programme will begin in 2026.

“Too often, stadiums feel like spaceships that could have landed anywhere, sterilising the surrounding area,” said Thomas Heatherwick, founder and design director of Heatherwick Studio. “Ours grows from Birmingham itself – from its brickworks, its history of a thousand trades, and the craft at the core of its culture.

The stadium’s pcost was estimated at £1.2 billion (US$1.5 billion). 

Birmingham FC is part owned by US American football star Tom Brady and the club was featured on a documentary on Amazon Prime.