Some stunning pictures recently surfaced of Herzog and De Meuron‘s latest oeuvre, a £600 million soccer stadium to be constructed in Portsmouth, England. In keeping with their Beijing Bird’s Nest, the venerable Swiss architects have created a striking 36,000 seat stadium that will include an exhibition center, housing, and a park. Envisioned as a shining waterfront beacon, the development will revitalize Horsea Island (a former landfill site) via an abundance of green spaces, a sustainable energy program, and a low-carbon emission scheme.
Sports venues raise an problematic environmental quandary, since the carbon emissions incurred by transportationt to and from stadiums can be staggering. We were impressed that Herzog and de Meuron’s development will employ a variety of sustainable approaches to offset these carbon costs.
The project will reclaim a great expanse of land from Horsea Island, introducing 1.5 acres of public space. Bus, park-and-ride, pedestrian and train services will be provided to help cut down on emissions, and entire island will incorporate a sustainable energy approach that will “take advantage of the different program elements to work together and ensure a low carbon emission scheme.”
A series of 750 waterfront residential units were designed by such that “the depth and height of the built unit is limited to ensure both interior and exterior spaces can always be naturally lit.” James Sellar has stated: “Our challenge is to deliver a solution that coordinates the needs for user comfort, sustainable access and cost effectiveness while keeping input of materials and energy to run the facility as low as possible.”
Land reclamation work is tentatively scheduled for 2008, with construction of the stadium to begin next year.
Via dezeen.com
Except that, about 6 months ago, this plan was rejected. This is not going to be built.
Resident of Portsmouth.
OK, it might be built but certainly not where it is pictured. It might be built about 4 miles further north on the harbour, but I won’t be holding my breath. This is the UK!
I’m another resident of Portsmouth, and a 6th year Architecture student there.
I like this proposal. The building is striking, individual and will certainately bring a new lease of life to an otherwise delapidated area of town (excluding Gunwharf, of course). Queen Street is certainately ‘up and coming’ with more and more housing being built there, as is the town centre with its new shopping advantures. Herzog and de Meuron did a fantastic job with our new University Frewan Library and so are already about in the city.
HOWEVER… as eddystone82 correctly points out, his plan was rejected months ago. Many people are scared of change and this radical new design is too much for the city to cope with. A new proposal is now under consideration for the new statium to be built nearer to Port Solent, where the transport links can actually cope with a development of this size. I would love to see this stadium built at Port Solent and for it to be given the facilities, transport links and opportunities that a building of this status deserves. If its done properly, ic could very well be the beacon it aspires to be. But again, I’m in with Eddy – I’m not holding my breath for this to be built within the next 10 years.
I correct myself…. It was Penoyre and Prasad that did our University library, not Herzog and de Meuron. Its been a long day :-S
Nice concept