Birmingham City’s owners are planning to build a new stadium, and the architect behind Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium has been overlooked as the choice to help design their new ground.
The famous US architect designed Everton’s new 52,769-capacity Hill Dickinson Stadium, which has earned top reviews for the bowl design and will host games for the 2028 UEFA European Championships and 2025 Rugby League Ashes.
The design mastermind has been the brain behind several stadiums across different continents, including North America, Asia and Europe, and is well-celebrated.
Meis revealed his intention to win the bid for the Birmingham City project while addressing delegates about Everton’s new stadium, saying: “There’s the Birmingham stadium project, and we are actively pursuing that opportunity.”
Birmingham City owners eye state-of-the-art stadium
The Birmingham project will reportedly include a stadium, a sports campus and training facilities, with the budget running into billions, showing the scale of the club's vision for their new home.
The main bowl will be a 62,000-seater, a major upgrade from their current home ground, St Andrew's, which can accommodate 29,409 spectators at maximum capacity,
Speaking to the BBC in June, club chairman Tom Wagner said his ambition is to build “an entertainment venue unlike anything else in the world”, and if the execution is as the vision, the facility will be competing with some of the best in the world.
Retractable pitch for vast usage
Wagner revealed that the vision for the new stadium goes beyond football, with plans to host concerts, American football, and rugby matches, all made possible by the use of a retractable pitch.
The project is expected to cost between £2 billion and £3 billion, with hopes that the state-of-the-art venue will be completed within five years, opening in time for the 2030/31 season.
Birmingham City name architect and design team for stadium
Despite Meis' clear wishes to be selected as the architect for the new Birmingham City stadium, owner and chairman Tom Wagner announced that British-based design company Heatherwick Studios and United States designers MANICA have been given the responsibility of drawing up plans for the 62,000-seater ground and surrounding areas.
MANICA have worked on a number of world-class sporting venues all over the globe, with noticeable constructions including the Lusail Stadium in Qatar, which played host to the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.
Furthermore, Heatherwick Studios boast a number of eye-catching commercial buildings in their portfolio, as well as a new design for double-decker buses in London during the early parts of the 2010s.
FGG Says
While Meis was ultimately not chosen, Birmingham City's ambitious plans for their proposed new stadium could mark a defining moment in the club’s modern history. Beyond football, it signals a bold shift towards transforming the city into a multi-sport and entertainment hub capable of attracting global attention.