Man United recruits Foster + Partners for Old Trafford masterplan
“This is an area of Greater Manchester ready for major new investment so that it can thrive once more, and we are determined to help deliver those outcomes,” said the football club’s chief operating officer, Collette Roche.
Manchester United has appointed Foster + Partners to develop a masterplan for club-owned land around Old Trafford stadium. The project is set to feature mixed-use developments geared towards bringing in more tourists, attracting new residents, and creating more jobs in the area.
The masterplan will not touch the current Old Trafford, however. The club noted in a press release that despite Old Trafford itself (or a new version of it) not featuring in the plans: “A world-class stadium will ultimately sit at the heart of this ambitious new masterplan, acting as a catalyst for wider regeneration”.
Foster + Partners was founded in 1967 by Lord Norman Foster, who grew up in Levenshulme. The global architecture studio was behind the Gherkin in London, Wembley Stadium, and Lusail Stadium in Qatar. The firm is no stranger to the football club, and is currently designing the £50m Carrington training ground revamp for Manchester United.
Foster said: “As a proud Mancunian, I am passionate about the chance to rebuild on Manchester’s great industrial heritage, creating a vibrant new mixed-use community, served by highly sustainable and improved transport links, providing homes and jobs for the local community, all catalysed by a world-class stadium for the world’s most famous football team – Manchester United.”
Regarding the soon-to-be developed masterplan, Foster + Partners will incorporate feedback from a fan survey that was sent out on Friday, as well as the results from a wider consultation effort to begin in October.
Also set to weigh in on the masterplan: the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, which is headed up by Lord Sebastian Coe and includes Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, Trafford Council chief executive Sara Todd, and developer/former Manchester United captain Gary Neville.
The club already has an idea of what it wants from the masterplan, according to Roche.
“We have a clear vision to transform and revitalise the club-owned land around Old Trafford and we know that Foster + Partners is the best partner to help us develop the plans,” she said, describing Foster as having “unrivalled experience in delivering projects of this scale and ambition”.
Roche added later: “We want this area to become a true destination, that not only provides an unbeatable matchday experience for our fans, but also supports other forms of entertainment, leisure, business, and residential facilities surrounding a world-class stadium.
The club stated that the Old Trafford Stadium District masterplan would complement Trafford Council’s existing Trafford Wharfside masterplan, which seeks to enable the delivery of up to 5,000 homes on the 215-acre stretch of land between the Manchester Ship Canal, Old Trafford stadium, and Europa Way.
Well that’s exciting news!
By Andee
Cant wait for this. I really hope they go as big as they can. Let’s be honest there are only about 2 or 3 teams in the world that could fill a 100k stadium week in week out, United is one of them so lets do it. Some sort of united world should also be included as walk past any day of the week and there are scores of tourists around the ground.
By Bob
Should have a Manchester practice involved ideally….
By Anon
We need more parking for those who regularly drive up from London
By Tru Manc
Please can there be a parking space next to each seat to ensure that motorists don’t have to walk an inch or even lift a finger
By car pilled weirdo
Would be daft not to build a brand new 100,000 seat stadium next to the current one, although I’d go one step further for bragging rights and make it larger than the Nou Camp. They will definitely need to improve tram and tarin services though. They should have a terminus station (or depot next door) where dozens of trams and trains can wait and then be loaded swiftly with passengers. Cologne Stadium did this for the Euros and it worked perfectly. That should be the model.
By MC
Since city have done a pretty impressive job along with the city council and the local developers of developing the Etihad campus and the whole area, United should be looking to go bigger and better which they seem to be doing. Great for the city overall though to have so much development driven by football clubs.
By Anonymous
The whole country wants a 90-100k capacity stadium with a running track
By Manchester 2040
The council need to be talking to Peel about their ambitions for City Airport (that’s Barton Aerodrome to the rest of us). It’s only a couple of miles west and, with a bit of investment, could accommodate the smaller fan jets from Dublin and London, as well as the various private jets and helicopters from Bournemouth, Guildford and the like. The shorter journey from there to the new stadium will deliver a major saving on carbon.
By More Anonymous than the others
Manchester 2040 – no running track please… destroys the atmosphere. It’s so important that Man U manage to keep the atmosphere of OT – it’s the best in the world!
By John W
This is crying out for some world class initiatives/incentives:
1. You could introduce free Metro tickets to allow “fans” to travel into Manchester from Salford, helping them realise they “support” a team from a different city
2. Congestion on a match day is terrible due to all the fans wandering around looking for directions to Manchester. Clear wayfinding package to herd the sheep is essential
3. Maybe you could introduce some for of National Trust membership or Tourist Visa so the fans can be better accommodated during their lengthy commutes to and from the stadium ? With the National Trust membership you could introduce some form of “Memory Lane” so the “fans” can reminisce about the “Glory Days”
4. Maybe introduce a Tesco style “Loyalty” card. This could expire after say 5 years with no trophies ?
Lol !!
By WindyMcWindface
The sports led regeneration exemplar already exists in Manchester.
Decades later, Stretford has looked across to the city of Manchester and understandably wants to copy.
The crucial question is who is paying for either the upgrade of Old Trafford or something new?
By Anonymous
This is great news. I’ve been saying for months that Manchester needs world class architects like Foster+Partners. His architecture will attract visitors from all over the world. We need him to do more in the city centre. Liverpool could do with him too.
By John
In terms of regeneration, I hope Sir Jim can do for United what Sheikh Mansour has done for City.
By MrP
If they don’t call the stadium ‘New Trafford’ I’m not supporting them anymore.
By Another Housebuilder
The stadium definitely needs a running track with an Olympic bid being put in for Manchester and surrounding counties (Cheshire, Merseyside). They say this is a master plan not just for Man U but for the North and what better than an Olympic Games to be held here in the future – think of the economic benefits to the region! On the football side plenty of existing stadiums with a running track that generate an atmosphere (Stadio Olimpico, Olympiastadion, Stade de France)
By Verticality
A new stadium is defiantly the correct choice. It allows them to position it away from the railway line. Hopefully it will include a full sports campus Like City as well as new homes
By Jon P
@anon 12:30 on 23/09 – Sir Norman Foster is a Manc, so I think we’re good
By red rose
Whatever the final capacity chosen is the designers need to ensure it has the widest gangways of any stadium in the world to ensure all the fans can leave simultaneously in the 80th minute.
By Ram Tailor
Who needs a local architect, a running track or any kind of planning obligation
By Anonymous