Heatherwick Studio, in partnership with MANICA, have revealed the design for Birmingham City Football Club’s new stadium, the centrepiece of the proposed Birmingham Sports Quarter.
The 62,000-capacity stadium, located at Bordesley Green in East Birmingham, will create a new landmark for the city and celebrate its heritage of industry and craft.
The two studios won the design competition in collaboration with Steven Knight, the acclaimed film director, writer and lifelong Blues fan. Visuals of the project were released at an event at Digbeth Loc film studio in Birmingham, marking the club’s 150th anniversary.
All images: Devisual & Mir for Heatherwick Studio
The stadium will feature a retractable roof and moveable pitch, ensuring flexibility for a variety of events – from major sporting fixtures to international music concerts – all prioritising an exceptional fan experience. The steep bowl is designed to create the most intense matchday moments. The design pulls the stands as close and as steep to the pitch as can be allowed to create a 360-degree wall of fans. The stadium’s high-performing acoustics will amplify the sound of the crowd, creating an unforgettable atmosphere for home supporters.
At the heart of the concept are 12 towering chimney-like structures, inspired by the site’s longstanding history of brick manufacturing. Using reclaimed bricks wherever possible, the structures directly support the roof and serve multiple purposes, creating a silhouette that connects the stadium to Birmingham’s industrial past, housing lifts and staircases, and acting as part of the stadium’s passive ventilation strategy.
Designed for optimal acoustics, the ‘chimneys’ will channel sound from the bowl upward while preventing noise pollution in the neighbourhood. One of the chimneys will also house a lift which transports visitors up to what will be the highest bar in Birmingham, with views over the city and an immersive experience telling stories of the city’s past.
The ground experience has been equally important to the design team. Rather than being a place to visit on match days only, the new stadium will create a public space open to everyone throughout the week. From food markets, restaurants and cafes to children’s play areas and places to linger, the area around the stadium will offer the local community somewhere to come together and enjoy a new part of the city.
Heatherwick Studio will also be responsible for the architecture, structure, chimneys, and public realm as well as the interior design for the project. MANICA, a global leader in sport and entertainment design, is bringing US-style stadium experiences to the UK by leading the stadium’s functional design, including the seating bowl and level-by-level layouts.
Thomas Heatherwick, founder and design director of Heatherwick Studio, said: “Too often, stadiums feel like spaceships that could have landed anywhere, sterilising the surrounding area. Ours grows from Birmingham itself — from its brickworks, its history of a thousand trades, and the craft at the core of its culture.
“It’s also a wholehearted place for the community. The stadium will truly come alive where it meets the ground; a place for play, gathering, and everyday life. Our goal is to capture the spirit of the city and play it back to Birmingham.”
David Manica, president and owner of MANICA Architecture, said: “Designing a new, world-class home for Birmingham City FC was an opportunity our teams embraced with enthusiasm and excitement.
“Working alongside Heatherwick Studio, we are dedicated to creating a venue that embodies the resilience and pride of the Birmingham community while honouring the Club’s lasting legacy within the community.”
Tom Wagner, Knighthead Co-CEO and BCFC Chairman said: “This is a huge milestone for Birmingham City Football Club, creating a home for the club that reflects our ambition to compete at the highest level. More than that, the iconic design is a statement of intent for the City of Birmingham and the West Midlands, testament to a region that is on the rise.
“The stadium draws upon the proud heritage of the West Midlands – a heritage of industry, ingenuity and growth. I believe those same qualities can create a new era of success on and off the field and prosperity for local communities that have been starved of opportunities for too long”.
The new stadium will anchor the Birmingham Sports Quarter in East Birmingham, which will also include high-performance training facilities and mixed-use developments. The project is expected to contribute £760 million annually to Birmingham’s economy by 2035.
The ambition is for the new stadium to be completed in time for the start of the 2030/2031 football season. A public engagement programme responding to the needs and aspirations of the fans and the wider community will begin in 2026.
