Heatherwick Studio Reveals Birmingham Stadium Shaped by Twelve Chimney-Like Towers

A New Architectural Era for Birmingham City Football Club

Heatherwick Studio and MANICA Architecture have revealed the design for a new Birmingham stadium that will serve as the future home of Birmingham City Football Club.

The proposal arrives in time for the club’s 150th anniversary and forms the core of the broader Birmingham Sports Quarter — an ambitious redevelopment planned for Bordesley Green in East Birmingham.

Early visualizations highlight a structure defined not by decorative façade treatments but by mass, materiality, and texture, drawing directly from the city’s industrial DNA.

Twelve Chimney-Like Towers Inspired by Industrial Birmingham

At the heart of Heatherwick Studio’s architectural concept is a ring of twelve chimney-like towers rising from the ground plane. These monumental structures support the stadium’s roof while giving the project a recognizable silhouette rooted in Birmingham’s brickmaking past.

Where possible, the architects intend to use reclaimed brick, giving each tower a tactile, layered presence that evokes the city’s industrial history. Beyond their expressive character, each chimney hosts functional elements:

• Vertical circulation with lifts and staircases

• Environmental systems supporting passive cooling

• One tower dedicated to a public bar offering panoramic views across Birmingham

Together, these towers shape airflow, light, and movement, while anchoring the stadium within its urban landscape.

MANICA Shapes the Interior Bowl for Atmosphere and Acoustics

Inside, MANICA Architecture leads the design of the seating bowl. A steep geometry brings supporters close to the pitch, creating an intense matchday atmosphere. Sound design plays a crucial role: the chimney towers help channel crowd noise upward, enhancing acoustics inside the stadium while minimizing sound spillover into the surrounding neighborhoods.

The roof system is engineered to retract when necessary, and a moveable pitch expands the building’s potential for non-football events — from concerts to community gatherings.

A Civic Ground Plane for Everyday Use

Heatherwick Studio extends the stadium’s role beyond sports by designing the ground level as a civic space active throughout the week. Instead of becoming an isolated matchday venue, the site is envisioned as a welcoming public landscape.

The plan includes:

• Food markets and outdoor cafés

• Shaded gathering areas

• Informal seating

• Children’s play zones

• Meandering paths encouraging slow circulation

This approach transforms the stadium into a social anchor for East Birmingham, fostering community use and local identity.

A Birmingham Heatherwick Stadium Rooted in Place and Purpose

The Birmingham stadium by Heatherwick Studio expresses a bold architectural identity while paying homage to the city's industrial legacy. With its chimney-like towers, public-focused ground plane, and acoustically crafted bowl, the project represents a new kind of sports architecture — one that blends spectacle, community, and sustainability.

Written by Otávio Santiago, a designer dedicated to translating ideas into visual rhythm. His work spans motion, 3D, and graphic design — connecting creativity, technology, and human emotion.