AFL Architects Edgbaston Cricket Stadium project opened by Duke of Edinburgh
The new Edgbaston Stadium is situated on the site of four previous stands. This new mixed-use 8,100 capacity main stand complex contains, state of the art playing facilities, media, hospitality and exhibition space. The centre piece of the design is a superb new conference and banqueting suite which caters for up to for 700 guests. This room has been expressed as a sculptural form clad in striking blue panels and juxtaposed windows.
This element on the street frontage forms an extended canopy to the main double height entrance with a new Visitor & Learning Centre on the first floor. The rest of the street elevation of the building is clad in sinusoidal profiled metal cladding curved both in plan and in section linking the various elements of the new stand seamlessly together. Behind this linking cladding element are four levels of seating and spectator facilities.
The main section of seating is centred about the main test wicket and is topped with a central media viewing facility for over 200 TV, radio and written journalists. The highest level of seating is a skyline terrace below this are two levels of hospitality suites with boxes and the luxury Jaguar and 1882 Club suites. There is a separate large two tier seating bank to the west of the main stand for general admission spectators. In the base of this is a large concourse designed double up as an exhibition hall linked to the large banqueting facilities above.
These superb spectator facilities, with stunning views of the Birmingham skyline, take the extended ground capacity to 25,000 spectators for domestic and international cricket and, matched with tremendous media viewing facilities, puts Edgbaston once again at the forefront of world cricket and provides wonderful new conference and event facilities for the City.
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