Birmingham City’s ambitious £3bn stadium vision has already captured national attention, and the project may soon spark a battle between two of the Premier League’s most renowned construction giants.
According to Building, Laing O’Rourke and Mace, the firms behind Everton’s new waterfront stadium and Tottenham Hotspur’s award-winning home, are both weighing up whether to compete for the contract to deliver Blues’ proposed 62,000-seat ground.
Unveiled last week by owner Tom Wagner, the Heatherwick Studio concept features a bold circular design framed by 12 brick-faced chimneys, blending cutting-edge engineering with deep nods to Birmingham’s architectural heritage.
The club hopes the stadium will become the centrepiece of a vast new sports campus in Bordesley Green and open in time for the 2030-31 season.
Two Premier League heavyweights assess Birmingham City’s vision
Laing O’Rourke, recently responsible for Everton’s spectacular Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, has already expressed interest in Birmingham’s blueprint.
The company emphasised its confidence in modern modular construction and digital design, methods it believes would add certainty and quality to a project of this magnitude.
Mace, the firm that managed the delivery of Tottenham’s technologically advanced bowl, is also understood to be exploring a potential bid.
However, any move would depend on the project being procured through a construction management model. Their work at Spurs was completed through that approach, and industry observers note that few UK contractors would risk a fixed-price deal on a development of this scale.
Mace also has a recent connection to Birmingham City, having stepped in to complete crucial works at St Andrew’s following the collapse of Buckingham Group. That experience could strengthen their case should the club pursue a similar procurement route.
Birmingham stadium to be rooted in city’s industrial identity
The Heatherwick and Manica-led design leans heavily into the city’s manufacturing foundations. The 12 towering chimneys surrounding the stadium serve not only as a tribute to Birmingham’s industrial past but also as practical engineering components.
They are expected to support the roof, manage acoustics by directing noise upwards, and house essential infrastructure such as ventilation systems, staircases and lifts.
Club leaders believe this blend of innovation, symbolism and function will result in one of Europe’s most distinctive football stadiums, a ground capable of redefining both Birmingham City’s trajectory and the character of an entire district.
With the wider campus envisioned as a multi-purpose hub transforming a former industrial site, the project’s impact could stretch far beyond matchdays.
FGG Says
Birmingham City’s stadium project feels like a watershed moment for the club and the city. The involvement of Laing O’Rourke and Mace signals just how serious and credible the plans are, because both firms bring elite-level experience from two of the Premier League’s most impressive modern stadiums.
Heatherwick’s chimney-led design strikes the perfect balance between ambition and authenticity, ensuring the project remains rooted in Birmingham’s identity.
The challenge now lies in choosing the right procurement model and contractor to keep such a vast, £3bn scheme on track. If executed well, this could become one of Europe’s defining football arenas.