Populous and Fulham FC reveal first rendering of proposed Riverside Stand development
English football club Fulham FC has revealed fresh details of how it plans to create a new “leisure destination for use on match and non-match days” at the club's Craven Cottage stadium.
Global sports architects Populous have created a proposal for the club that its chair, Shahid Khan, claims will “transcend the customary standards of football grandstands” by “blending history and the contemporary like no stadium in the land or beyond”.
The scheme would see the creation of riverside pubs and restaurants, event facilities, green spaces and public access to a river walk along the Thames, in addition to nine new apartments at either end of the site. The stand itself would be rebuilt with more seats, increasing the stadium's total capacity by 4,300 to 30,000. A new basement would make room for ‘back of house’ facilities and lounge space.
A new rendering released by Populous shows how the stand has been designed with “an iconic roof design” to better connect with the river. The architects were tasked with creating something sympathetic in scale to the adjoining stands and trees to the south, while reducing the impact of floodlighting on the river. They propose to achieve the latter by removing two existing floodlight masts and building a new system below the roof.
More new images are expected to be released next month.
The club initially secured planning permission to expand the Riverside Stand in 2013. It is currently in discussions with the council about its latest plans, and is collecting public feedback of the design – which has been on display at Craven Cottage. It seeks to submit an updated planning application at the end of November so that construction can begin early next year, and completed by 2021.
Studies have already taken place to measure the wind, noise and traffic impact of the scheme, with all found to be similar level to the previously approved plans.
In a statement, the club said: “Mr Khan wants a design based on a new concept that will deliver a wide range of benefits both now and for future generations. These include creating a high quality new stand for our fans and a world class leisure destination that significantly enhances the relationship with the River Thames.”
Design firm Heatherwick Studio previously developed a broad concept for the Riverside Stand and its surrounding area as part of a business case study, but CLADglobal understands their involvement is now over, with Populous responding to a new brief.
By appointing Populous, Khan is reuniting with a firm he has worked with closely before. In May this year the practice completed a stadium extension for US National Football League (NFL) franchise the Jacksonville Jaguars – a team Khan also owns.
Populous have designed a number of London’s major football grounds, including Wembley Stadium, in collaboration with Foster + Partners; Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium; West Ham United’s London Stadium; and Tottenham Hotspur’s forthcoming new-look White Hart Lane.
The practice also completed the new Warners Stand at Lord's Cricket Ground in May this year.
Riverside Stand Fulham FC Populous London Craven Cottage Shahid KhanFulham FC project over for Heatherwick Studio as Populous take the reins on Riverside Stand
Fulham FC secures Heatherwick Studio for stadium project
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres




















