Architecture
When planning the development, Manchester City Council required a sustainable landmark structure that would be an icon for the regeneration of the once heavily industrialised site surrounding Bradford Colliery, as well as providing spectators with good sightlines in an atmospheric arena. Arup Associates designed the stadium to be "an intimate, even intimidating, gladiatorial arena embodying the atmosphere of a football club" with the pitch six metres below ground level, a feature of Roman gladiatorial arenas and amphitheatres.
The football stadium's exterior is dominated by twelve masts which hold the toroidal-shaped stadium roof using a cable net system unlike the roofs of other stadia, which are held aloft by classic beamed cantilevered supports. Cables are attached to the twelve masts circling the stadium with rafters and purlins for additional roof support. The masts double as visual features, with the highest at 75 metres (246 ft). Access to the upper tiers of seats is provided by eight circular ramps with conical roofs resembling turrets above which eight of the twelve masts rise up providing the support structure for the roof.
The roof of the South, East and West Stands built for the athletics stadium configuration was supported by the cable net system. The temporary open stand at the north end was built around the masts and tie down cables that would ultimately support the roof of the current North Stand. After the games the track and field were excavated. The temporary bleachers at the north end were removed and the North Stand and lower tier of seats constructed on the prepared excavation. The North Stand roof was completed by adding rafters, purlins and cladding. The conversion took about a year and increased the seating capacity by around 10,000 seats.
The stadium has facilities for players and match officials in a basement area below the West Stand, which also contains a kitchen providing meals for up to 6,000 people on match days, press rooms, ground staff storage, and a prison cell. Fitting out of the hospitality suites, kitchens, offices, and concourse concessions was accomplished by KSS Architects, and included the installation of the communications cabling and automatic access control system. The stadium also has conference facilities and is licensed for marriage ceremonies.
To create the optimum grass playing surface in the stadium bowl, the roof was designed to maximise sunlight by using a ten-metre band of translucent polycarbonate at its periphery and the corners of the stadium have perforated walls with louvres that can be adjusted to provide airflow across the pitch. Drainage and under-pitch heating were installed to provide optimum growing conditions for the grass.
Read more about this topic: City Of Manchester Stadium
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