Birmingham City have released new images of their planned 62,000-seater stadium.
The stadium was announced at a launch event on Thursday and will be developed by Heatherwick Studio and MANICA Architecture.
It will be the centerpiece of the Sports Quarter project, led by club chairman and co-owner Tom Wagner, which will also include a women’s stadium and other entertainment facilities, and will cost around £1.2 billion.
The images were released during Thursday’s launch event.
“I couldn’t be more excited to share this amazing design with the many people who played a key role in making it a reality,” Wagner said after the announcement.
An announcement video was released as part of the launch, which included former player Jude Bellingham and fellow co-owner Tom Brady, who said the stadium would also host NFL games in the future.
The stadium has been given a working name, Birmingham City Powerhouse, but this is expected to change once a naming rights deal is signed.
A statement from the club said the new stadium “draws on the proud heritage of the West Midlands”.
Chairman Tom Wagner insists the stadium will become a reality within the next five years.
“The Powerhouse is a living monument to our city’s great and historically valuable past. It is also a statement of what is possible for our city’s exciting future,” Wagner added.
“The members of the board and my colleagues at Knighthead, who, like me, fell in love with this city, its people and the football club. “This is an opportunity to create something unique and distinctive in one of the country’s greatest and sometimes overlooked areas.
“We are extremely proud that today we will no longer be overlooked against the beautiful backdrop of Powerhouse.”
The stadium has a replaceable pitch and the roof is expected to close within 20 minutes
Mr Wagner claimed the stadium would become a reality within the next five years and would include features such as a replaceable pitch and a roof that closes within 20 minutes.
Stadium builds on ‘West Midlands’ proud heritage’
“This will be a beacon of Birmingham’s excellence on the world stage, attracting the best in sporting and entertainment events.
Tom Wagner described the stadium as a “football first” stadium.
“Make no mistake about it, this is a football-first stadium and will give our team a competitive advantage from day one. It will be a place no opposing team wants to play.”
‘Humble lunatic’ aiming for Premier League with new stadium
The 62,000 capacity powerhouse is one of the largest stadiums in English football, with only Old Trafford, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the London Stadium in the Premier League having a capacity of 62,000.
The stadium is set to be bigger than the likes of Anfield and the Emirates, and Wagner admitted it is an indication of where the club wants to be in the coming years.
Birmingham City have released images of their planned 62,000-seater stadium.
“We had a bit of a setback along the path of the club, just taking a step back after buying the club. We looked like complete lunatics saying we’re going to build this in League One,” the American said in a press conference after the announcement.
“Right now we look like low-key lunatics sitting in the Championship saying we’re going to do this.
“The fan base is big enough to fill a stadium. But we’ve always been very mindful of building for the future, not the past.”
“The new stadium could be a great homecoming for Bellingham.”
Wagner believes Jude Bellingham’s return to Birmingham at a new stadium will be a ‘great homecoming story’
Wagner also mentioned Real Madrid star Bellingham’s appearance in the promotional package and admitted he hopes the stadium can lure him back to the club in the future.
The midfielder started his professional career in Birmingham, making his debut at the age of 16.
He left the club to join Borussia Dortmund in 2020 and had his jersey number retired before making the move to the Spanish capital.
“I think Jude is the greatest player on this planet today. We have yet to see his full potential. What he can do, not only on the field, but for the community and as a leader.”
“If we can give him the platform to reach his full potential then that’s a great story. It’s a great homecoming story, a great Birmingham story and a great England story.”
