Birmingham City Football Club has unveiled plans for a new 62,000-seater stadium designed by Heatherwick Studio and MANICA Architecture.
Located in Bordesley Green in East Birmingham, the stadium will feature a retractable roof and moveable pitch, enabling year-round flexibility for major sporting events, international music concerts and large-scale cultural experiences.
The 12 chimney-form towers echo the brickworks that once sat on the site and will provide structural support for the roof. One of the chimneys will include a lift to Birmingham’s highest bar, offering citywide views.
The new stadium will anchor the Birmingham Sports Quarter and will include a mix of new facilities – from leisure and entertainment to retail and wellbeing. Knighthood Capital Management, owner of Birmingham City FC, intends to submit a planning application for the new stadium next year and the ambition is for it to be completed in time for the start of the 2030-31 season.
Tom Wagner, co-CEO of Knighthead Capital Management and chairman of Birmingham City FC, 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.”
Thomas Heatherwick, founder and design director of Heatherwick Studio, added: “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.”
David Manica, president and owner of MANICA Architecture, said: “Birmingham is a resilient and passionate community, so the design of this new stadium needed to embody the grit and passion of its people. The Powerhouse’s design is both intentional and meticulous, paying homage to a passionate fanbase while laying the foundation for the Bluenoses of tomorrow.”
