Major revamp for Midlands athletics venue
Birmingham's Alexander Stadium is set to undergo a £12.25m redevelopment after the local authority approved the business plan for the scheme.
It is hoped the 'self-financing' redevelopment will establish the stadium as a potential base for UK Athletics (UKA), with plans featuring a 5,000-seat stand to increase capacity to 12,800. The S&P Architects-designed plans also allow for the installation of temporary seating if required, while new office space will be able to accommodate 250 people and a new gym will be available to local residents.
By increasing the seating capacity, it is hoped the stadium will be able to host Diamond League meetings, while future plans could see the capacity rise further to 25,000. Work is scheduled to commence in October, with Birmingham City Council (BCC) expecting to fund the scheme through the rental of office space and gym income.
The council also revealed that, aside from UKA, other national governing bodies have expressed an interest in the new-look facility, which is due to be completed in June 2011. However, a UKA spokesperson told the BBC no decisions had yet been made. BCC leader Mike Whitby said: "We play host to gold medal hopefuls from the USA and Jamaica ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games and, to build on that success, we need the facilities required for the world's best athletes to compete here on a regular basis.
"That's exactly what this project will achieve and we're once again showing Birmingham has the commitment needed to be a significant player in world sport." Martin Mullaney, the council's cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture, added: "Public spending is understandably under the spotlight at the moment but income from the new office space and fitness facilities means this project will be self-financing."
UAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Designing an eco hotel for the Galapagos Islands that allowed the stunning natural surroundings to take centre stage while minimising its impact on the land presented its own unique set of challenges, Ecuadorian architect Humberto Plaza tells Kathryn Hudson