Everton’s new stadium will be designed to help retain the traditional feel of its current Goodison Park home, according to the architect working on the project for the English Premier League football club
American Dan Meis said that his team will focus on the “stories and the history” of both the club and its Goodison Park at the stadium, which will be built in the Bramley-Moore Dock area of Liverpool.
Meis, who has worked on a wide range of sports stadia in the US, also said that the facility will be unlike other new venues, which he said sometimes struggle to offer the same atmosphere as older stadiums.
“So much of where we start isn’t about architecture – it is about the stories and the history,” Meis said, according to the Daily Mail newspaper.
“We have seen a lot of new-builds not really tick that box. So many clubs have suffered from leaving these very intimate, tiny grounds that people had known for generations into large, new and shiny buildings where it is hard to keep that soul and spirit.
“Not every client comes to the table with a vision or a real deep understanding so Everton are way ahead of the game in that regard. That influences the architecture. We instantly know we are going to be a very tight (stadium) with steep stands up from the pitch.”
Meis also said that he has been speaking with supporters of the club to gain an insight into what they want from the new stadium.
“The social media with fans is interesting,” Meis said. “There is a consistency in a lot of the messaging such as ‘Don’t forget about Goodison’.
“I also get potentially crazy ideas but over time there are a lot of great nuggets that are consistent and match the club and what they are passionate about.
“What is so exciting is I’ve worked on waterfront projects before and designs which have very spectacular impact on the skyline but I’ve never worked with something as potentially iconic with the history of the docks and what that means to Liverpool.”
Meis added: “What we are trying to do is design a stadium to feel like it grew out of the docks and will really belong on that skyline and not be some space object which I could drop anywhere.”
Image: Ben Sutherland
