Birmingham City has lifted the curtain on plans for an ambitious new home – a 62,000-seat stadium which will sit at the heart of a major redevelopment project at Bordesley Green.
The venue, the name Birmingham City Powerhouse, forms the anchor of the multi-pound strategy Club Wagner Chairman Tom Wagner described as a club-wide and district-wide venue.
Speaking at Thursday’s opening, Wagner said the stadium would be visible from 40 miles away and become a “beacon for beauty in Birmingham”.
One of the most impressive parts of the structure is the ring of chimney-style towers that surround the building. They are making progress on the brickwork that once occupied the site and are also supporting the stadium’s roof, which can be closed for 20 minutes.
One tower will remain the place that hosts visitors who arrive at the barrel that opposes the panoramic view of the entire city.
Explaining the thinking behind the look, Wagner said: “The stadium draws on the proud heritage of the West Midlands – a legacy of industry, creativity and growth.”
The large bowl is designed to feel tight and sealed, focusing sound back into the bag. Inside, supporters are set to experience an environment built beyond just football, with market areas, food courts, cafés and family-oriented spaces embedded in the canals.
Birmingham City – currently celebrating their 150th anniversary – hope to have the stadium ready for the start of the 2030/31 season.
The short film reveals the techniques played at DigBeth Local Studios, featuring Blues Academy Star Jude Bellingham alongside Peaky Blinders character Arthur Shelby.
The project sits at the heart of a comprehensive sports quarter development, led by wagner and supported by the acquisition of the 48-acre club that once housed the Birmingham wheels motorsport.
Besides the stadium itself, the club says the land will host housing, hotels, green spaces and recreational facilities.
Recent government investment has helped provide additional impetus. In June, Chancellor Rachel proposed £2.4bn for improved transport links across West Midlands towns, with the sports quarter set as a key element of that plan.
Wagner is expected to commit to £3bn in the complete rebuild, which is thought to create thousands of jobs.
Announcing the build, Wagner said: “This is a huge milestone for Birmingham City Football Club, creating a home for the club that reflects our desire to compete at the highest level.”
He added that “the design of the icon is a statement of the intentions of the city of Birmingham and the West Midlands, a testament to the region on the rise.”
Architect Thomas Heatherwick, whose stage is behind the construction work, said the focus was on creating something rooted in the city rather than an unknown, modern vessel.
“Often, the stadiums feel like spaces of space that have not arrived anywhere, cleaning dishes from the environment – from Birmingham itself – from its thousands of jobs, and from its hands, and from the art in its pit.
“It’s also a place with the heart of a community. The stadium will truly come to life where it meets the world; a place to play, gather and live everyday.”
