Manchester United’s new stadium, announced by the club today, will be built in five years by using 160 prefabricated components shipped via the city’s canal network, according to the scheme’s architect.
The club this morning (11 March) announced it would press ahead with a new plan to develop the new 100,000-seat stadium next to its existing ground, forming the centrepiece of a wider regeneration of the Old Trafford area.
Architecture firm Foster + Partners is designing the new stadium and leading the masterplan for the regeneration of the local area.
Sir Norman Foster, whose father worked in a Manchester factory, said: “Normally a stadium would take 10 years to build. We have half that time – five years.
“How do we do that? Prefabrication. By using the network of Manchester Ship Canal. Bringing it back to a new life, shipping in components – 160 of them Meccano-like.”
Conceptual stadium plans include a new public plaza and three 200-metre-high masts, which will support a lightweight “umbrella” roof to harvest solar energy and rainwater.
Foster also touted the redevelopment of the railway station next to the stadium and the creation of “arguably” the world’s largest public square.
A public consultation on the masterplan will be held before any plans are submitted.
Club co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said this morning (11 March) that the new stadium will form the centrepiece of a broader regeneration plan that would deliver 17,000 homes and up to £7.3bn per year for the UK economy.
He added: “Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport. By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford… Just as important is the opportunity for a new stadium to be the catalyst for social and economic renewal of the Old Trafford area, creating jobs and investment not just during the construction phase but on a lasting basis when the stadium district is complete.
“The government has identified infrastructure investment as a strategic priority, particularly in the North of England, and we are proud to be supporting that mission with this project of national, as well as local, significance.”
Manchester United did not disclose the estimated value of the construction project, and Construction News asked the club for a timeline in appointing a contractor to the site.
The football club had been considering two stadium options – an entirely new ground or expansion of Old Trafford, which was originally built in 1910 and currently has a capacity of 74,310.
The latter option would have extended Old Trafford’s capacity to 87,000, but the plan announced this morning would make it the largest stadium in the UK – bigger than the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium in London.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves gave the government’s formal backing to the regeneration scheme in January.
Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said the regeneration impact “could be bigger and better than [the] London 2012” Olympic Games regeneration project in Stratford.
“Our common goal […] has been to try to unlock the full power of the club for the benefit of its supporters and for Greater Manchester as a whole – creating thousands of new homes and jobs,” he added.
According to the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, which was set up to assess different options to regenerate the Old Trafford area, the new regeneration plan could deliver more than 90,000 jobs in total.
Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada said the club had “carefully” considered the task force’s findings, and the views of thousands of local residents and fans.
“[We have] concluded that a new stadium is the right way forward for Manchester United and our surrounding community,” he said. “We will now embark on further consultation to ensure that fans and residents continue to be heard as we move towards final decisions.”
If planning permission proceeds and construction begins at the new Old Trafford, it would be the latest in a number of new football grounds or stadium expansions in North West England.
In December, Laing O’Rourke handed over Everton FC’s new £550m stadium after three-and-a-half years’ construction work, employing prefabricated techniques.
Manchester United’s local rivals Manchester City – the reigning Premier League champions – appointed John Sisk & Son last May to expand the Etihad Stadium by 7,900 seats with a new North Stand.
This will raise capacity at the Etihad to 63,000 in time for the 2025/26 football season.
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Joshua Stein