Designs Revealed for Birmingham City FC’s New Stadium

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25 November 2025 | Updated 26 November 2025

Heatherwick Studio & Manica have revealed the designs for Birmingham City Football Club’s new stadium. With a 62,000-seat capacity, it’s set to redefine the city’s skyline whilst respecting its industrial heritage.

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The two architecture studios were appointed after winning a design competition in collaboration with film director and Birmingham FC fan Steven Knight.  The 62,000-capacity stadium, located at Bordesley Green in East Birmingham, features a retractable roof and moveable pitch, ensuring flexibility for events such as major sporting fixtures and international music concerts.

It is hoped that the stadium will be completed in time for the start of the 2030/2031 football season. Its working name is “The Birmingham City Powerhouse”.

The stadium has a steep bowl, designed to enhance the fan experience, pulling the stands as close and as steep to the pitch as possible to create a 360-degree wall of fans.

The Chimneys

Set in the Birmingham Sports Quarter in East Birmingham, the new stadium features 12 towering chimney-like structures, inspired by the site’s longstanding history of brick manufacturing. Using reclaimed bricks wherever possible, the structures directly support the roof and act as part of the stadium’s passive ventilation strategy.

The chimneys will also channel sound from the stadium bowl upwards while preventing noise pollution in the neighbourhood. One of the chimneys will also house a lift to take visitors to what will be the highest bar in Birmingham, with views over the city and an immersive experience telling stories of the city’s past.

The project is expected to contribute £760 million annually to Birmingham’s economy by 2035.

Thomas Heatherwick, founder and design director of Heatherwick Studio, said: “Too often, stadiums feel like spaceships that could have landed anywhere, sterilising the surrounding area. Ours grows from Birmingham itself — from its brickworks, its history of a thousand trades, and the craft at the core of its culture.

“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. Our goal is to capture the spirit of the city and play it back to Birmingham.”

David Manica, president and owner of MANICA Architecture, said: “Designing a new, world-class home for Birmingham City FC was an opportunity our teams embraced with enthusiasm and excitement.

“Working alongside Heatherwick Studio, we are dedicated to creating a venue that embodies the resilience and pride of the Birmingham community while honouring the Club’s lasting legacy within the community.”

Picture: a render showing the proposed new stadium with its "chimneys". Image Credit: Mir

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 25 November 2025

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