Premier League football club Everton has unveiled the first images of its proposed new 52,000-capacity stadium.
Renderings of the stadium were revealed this evening (Thursday) by world-renowned architect Dan Meis at an event for the club’s fans held close to the proposed Bramley-Moore Dock site.
The event marked the start of a month-long public consultation into the club’s plans, with the results of the consultation informing further refinements to the proposals.
The concepts show a brick, steel and glass design which Everton said takes its inspiration from the historic maritime and warehouse buildings nearby. The structure combines the historic and the modern, with the brick base of the stadium incorporating a subtle nod to Goodison Park’s famous Archibald Leitch lattice work while the dynamic roof structure made from steel and glass gives the stadium a modern finish.
The stadium – which will reportedly cost £500m (€556.9m/$638m) – is made up of four distinctive stands including a large steep home stand to the south that will house 13,000 home fans on matchdays.
“Supporters will be as close to the action as regulations permit as the club seeks to capture and amplify the intensity and intimacy of Goodison Park in this modern arena,” an Everton spokesperson said.
Rail seating
The stadium will also be future-proofed for any changes in regulations in relation to safe standing. The design of two of the stands (north and south) will allow for rail seating and in future, should the law change, a safe standing solution.
The stadium would hold significantly more fans than Goodison Park’s 39,500, with the proposed 52,000 capacity having the potential to rise to 62,000 in the future, subject to further planning permission. Everton has played at Goodison Park since 1892.
“Today marks an incredibly important milestone for us as we seek to build a new stadium which will act as a ‘game changer’ for the club and our city region,” said Prof. Denise Barrett-Baxendale, Everton’s chief executive.
“Our proposed stadium design takes its inspiration from both our city’s maritime history and from our club’s rich heritage and traditions.
“It is, first and foremost, a stadium for football, for our passionate fans and for our players. A stadium that gives Everton Football Club a platform for growth both commercially and socially. But it is also a stadium for the entire city and a development which will deliver transformative benefits in terms of regeneration and inclusive growth for the whole Liverpool City Region and for North Liverpool in particular.
“There is still much work to be done to deliver both the stadium and the community-led legacy in Liverpool 4 but we remain on track to deliver these amazing transformational projects.”
Public spaces
The club’s proposals include extensive public spaces for use on both matchdays and non-matchdays, the creation of a waterway to connect the docks and a new multi-storey car park next to the river, with a footbridge linking it to the stadium.
A Fan Plaza would be to the east of the stadium and would be the focus for pre- and post-match entertainment and activity.
The club has also outlined proposals for community projects and the development of up to 48 houses and 160 apartments made available to local residents.
“I’d like to thank everyone who has supported us so far and especially would like to thank our fans, the residents and businesses around Goodison Park and the people of this city for listening to us, for sharing their ideas with us and for backing us on this journey,” Barrett-Baxendale added.
“It is important that people continue to give us their views during this public consultation, so I would urge everyone to visit the exhibition as it tours the city region or go to the project website to take part.”
Public consulation
The public consultation marks the second stage of a formal process which began with a first stage public consultation last November.
More than 20,000 people took part in that consultation, with the overwhelming majority backing the proposed move to Bramley-Moore Dock, part of Peel L&P’s Liverpool Waters site, and the redevelopment of Goodison Park.
The consultation will ask members of the public for their views on a range of issues in relation to both Bramley-Moore Dock and the club’s intention to leave a legacy at Goodison Park.
Everton’s stadium development director Colin Ching said last month: “Following this stage of the process we aim to submit our planning applications before the end of the year, as outlined when we published our project timescale in 2018.”
Earlier this year Everton laid out financing plans for the stadium, with majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri pledging to put his own money into the project.
Images: Everton FC / Google Maps
