A Wembley Stadium centenary guest snippet from local historian Philip Grant.
Euro 1996 football fans, heading for the future! (Image: Foster & Partners)
It’s 1996, and Wembley is staging the final games in the Euros football tournament. But the original stadium, built in 1923 for the British Empire Exhibition is showing its age, and it has been agreed that it needs to be replaced.
In April 1996, the “go ahead” Brent Council had launched its masterplan for the redevelopment of the area around the stadium, with improved public transport links and parking facilities, and more public open space around the stadium to improve pedestrian circulation. At the centre of this new Wembley Park would be ‘a world class Wembley Stadium for the 21st century’, designed by Foster and Partners for the English National Stadium Trust.
The logo of the old Wembley Stadium, up to 2000. (Image: Wembley Stadium Ltd)
But, of course, you could not demolish the iconic “twin towers”. They had been made a Grade II listed heritage asset in 1976, and English Heritage said that they must be retained. Many football fans, and many in the press and general public, agreed.
The stand-alone “twin towers”, in front of the new “Wembley Wave” stadium. (Image: Foster & Partners)
Sir Norman Foster’s solution was to demolish the rest of the old stadium, and move the twin towers northwards, by around 100metres, towards Wembley Park Station. They would still provide a gateway to the stadium precinct for spectators coming up Olympic Way, but moving them would create the space for the pitch to be turned through 90º, so that it would get the best natural light.
The new stadium would have a fully retractable roof, supported by a metal framework running above the top of its outer walls, and dubbed the “Wembley Wave”. It would seat 80,000 spectators for football and rugby matches, and 75,000 for athletics events (the track would be under retractable seating). The external skin of the stadium would provide a giant screen, on which pictures could be projected.
The new stadium lit up at night, with a large open space to its north-east.
(Image: Foster & Partners)
Those pictures could include moving images for the benefit of spectators outside the stadium, in a large square to the north-east of the new Wembley. This open space would allow fans to circulate more freely around the stadium, and avoid congestion, both before and after matches or concerts.
As we all know, this is not the new stadium Wembley actually got, in 2007. I think there are parts of the 1996 design, including the extra public space around the stadium, which would have been an improvement! [Others, like moving the “twin towers”, were probably impractical.] What do you think?
Philip Grant
(With thanks to Paul, for the pictures)
6 comments:
Another great information piece from Philip Grant.
There were a great many ideas discussed as part of the Wembley bid for the New National Stadium - in an attempt to beat off competition from other UK Cities with better transport connections.
One was building a Railway Station next to the new Stadium allowing fans entry to the stadium straight from a platform. This station was intended to serve "Eurostar and Inter City trains". As we know this idea was never delivered.
Improved link to the North Circular was also promised but we are still waiting for the improved junction at the North Circular.
The Open Plaza by the stadium is also not there as other buildings were built very close to the new Stadium all around - obscuring the view of the stadium other than the arch.
The original arch designed by Foster and Partners was much more shallower and was referred to as the "Wembley Wave".
Part of the problem was the fact that while the Government gave the FA (Football Association) a £100 million Grant to buy the old Stadium as a going concern this was only enough to buy the land covering the footprint of the old Stadium.
This is a shame as only another £48 million would have been enough to by the Arena and over 44 acres of land around the Stadium which would have enabled the building of other 'Sporting Destination facilities' including the suggested Museum of Football.
So we don't have the Eurostar serving Wembley, or the big Park or the Football Museum - we do however have plenty of tall tower blocks.
Wembley Wave 2, Wembley Arch 1.
"only another £48 million would have been enough to by the Arena and over 44 acres of land around the Stadium" - what about asking multimillion £ players and sponsors to contribute rather than selling it all off to a greedy property developer and why did the council give them carte blanche to build all round ruining the views of the iconic stadium?
I am afraid the questions about the massive tower blocks blocking views of the new Stadium need to be addressed to Labour Councillors as it was their policy to relax planning rules and allow so many massive tower blocks. Outline planning permission for some of the up to 28 storey monsters was granted some 20 years ago by a Labour administration even before the new Stadium was built.
We should also not forget that prior to the 2006 local elections Labour Councillors running Brent were pushing for the building of a American style massive "super Casino" in the area. This barmy idea was only scrapped because Labour lost the 2006 local elections.
Besides the new Stadium the developers were also tasked to provide new shopping facilities, a Cinema, restaurants and a new multi storey car park in the area. These have been provided and do serve people from a much wider area than just the new residents who live there.
The new Wembley Stadium was built as a public transport destination yet Brent have allowed several car parks to be built which means that on match days local buses are diverted away from the car park entrances side of the stadium (the Triangle to the roundabout by the Tesco/LDO) with cars taking priority - this inconveniences local people and makes it a very long walk to the stadium for the elderly, disabled people or those less able to walk, depending on what stadium entrance gate you need - how can this be allowed to happen?
The new Wembley Stadium was built as a public transport destination yet Brent have allowed several car parks to be built which means that on match days local buses are diverted away from the car park entrances side of the stadium (the Triangle to the roundabout by the Tesco/LDO) with cars taking priority - this inconveniences local people and makes it a very long walk to the stadium for the elderly, disabled people or those less able to walk, depending on what stadium entrance gate you need - how can this be allowed to happen?
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