According to the designers of the Spurs stadium, Newcastle United’s expansion will give St. James’ Park a “nuanced” bowl shape.
The owners of Newcastle United have expressed openly that they would like to see St James’ Park expanded to hold 60,000 or more people.
In order to reach their target of 60,000 seats, Newcastle United may consider transforming St. James’ Park into a distinctive bowl shape, according to an architecture firm that specializes in building larger sports arenas.
Since assuming ownership of the team in October 2021, the new Magpies owners have made no secret of their intention to expand the stadium’s capacity from 52,000 to more. Tickets at the cathedral on the hill are extremely popular because Newcastle United is playing Champions League football and flying high in the Premier League.
Additionally, St. James’ Park has been selected to host the 2028 Euro, providing a potentially defined deadline for renovation and expansion before the eyes of the continent turn to Tyneside.
Sadler Brown made it clear during an April brainstorming session that, given the difficulties of the expansion and the unique location of St. James’ Park, the company would encourage the club to think creatively rather than ‘looking back and simply replicating old ones’.
Regarding the future of St. James’ Park, I had a conversation with renowned architects Populous, who created the £1.2 billion Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Although a designer has not yet been hired, the club has not made any firm decisions regarding the expansion. However, the firm has shared its ideas and promised to “bite your hands off” to complete the project.
NewcastleWorld spoke with North East architects Sadler Brown earlier this year about the obstacles to the football club’s growth, which include the Leazes Conservation Zone, the right to light, and the Metro line beneath the recently purchased Strawberry Place ground, which will be turned into a fanzone prior to any expansion gaining traction.
Speaking to the i, Populous Managing Director Christopher Lee acknowledged these difficulties and said the project would be challenging but not impossible. “I’ve had a few jobs in my career where people think it’s impossible,” he remarked. The Emirates is a triangle with no access, and it was constructed on a train track. We felt that was challenging, but it seems like the difficulty of each subsequent job after that keeps increasing.
Christopher Lee, the managing director of Populous, acknowledged these challenges in an interview with the i, stating that the project would be difficult but not impossible. “I’ve had a few jobs in my career where people think it’s impossible,” he said. Built on a railroad track, the Emirates is an inaccessible triangle. Although we thought that was tough, it seems like every job after that gets harder and harder.
In order to produce “some really interesting bowls” that could result in a “really nuanced” and “genuinely authentic” design, Mr. Lee stated that his company would seek to expand the East Stand and Gallowgate End vertically.
During a brainstorming session in April, Sadler Brown clarified that the company would urge the club to think creatively rather than ‘looking back and simply replicating old ones’, considering the challenges of the expansion and the special location of St James’ Park.
Sadler Brown made it clear during an April brainstorming session that, given the difficulties of the expansion and the unique location of St. James’ Park, the company would encourage the club to think creatively rather than ‘looking back and simply replicating old ones’.
