Birmingham City’s 62,000-seat stadium with 12 chimneys and sky bar
Birmingham City have revealed plans for a new 62,000-capacity stadium with 12 brick chimneys, a retractable roof and movable pitch.
The stadium, when completed in time for the 2030-2031 season, will become the UK’s 8th largest, ahead of Anfield in the top 10.
Knighthead Capital Management have appointed Heatherwick Studio and Manica Architecture for the project design, with City’s American owners keen for a major stadium to be completed after purchasing the Midlands club in 2023.
Tom Wagner, Knighthead co-chief and City chairman, said the plans marked a “huge milestone for Birmingham City Football Club, creating a home for the club that reflects our ambition to compete at the highest level”, adding 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”.
Knighthead’s stadium will be at the centre of a new sports quarter in Birmingham, while the American firm – who invested into the club with NFL legend Tom Brady – also owns the the region’s Hundred team, the Phoenix.
Birmingham City new stadium
“The twelve chimney-form towers echo the brickworks that once sat on the site,” a statement on the design read. “They will provide structural support for the roof while accommodating lifts and staircases and helping with ventilation.
“One chimney will include a lift to Birmingham’s highest bar, offering citywide views and an immersive storytelling experience.”
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. This stadium grows from Birmingham itself – from its brickworks, its thousand trades, and the craft at its core.
“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. The goal is to capture the spirit of the city and give it back to Birmingham.”