Foster + Partners head Old Trafford plan

Image: Old Trafford Stadium, Arne Müseler/www.arne-mueseler.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 de

Foster + Partners has been appointed by Manchester United to lead the development of a masterplan for the Old Trafford Stadium District in Manchester.

Arch Daily said the goal is to create a world-class football destination for Manchester United fans, integrated with a broader vision for a mixed-use development, on club-owned land surrounding the current stadium, that benefits the local community.

London (UK)-based Foster + Partners is a global studio for architecture, urbanism and design all rooted in sustainability and founded by Norman Foster in 1967.

Since then, he and the team around him have established an international practice with a worldwide reputation. With offices across the globe, they work as a single studio that is both ethnically and culturally diverse.

Old Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England (UK) and the home of Manchester United F.C. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium) in the United Kingdom and the 12th-largest in Europe.

The transformation aims to attract new residents, increase job opportunities, and establish the area as a vibrant hub for visitors from Manchester, across the UK, and beyond.

The planning process will involve extensive engagement with fans, local authorities, community members, and the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, ensuring their input shapes the masterplan’s final design.

The Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force was created in March this year to explore options for regenerating the Old Trafford area with the development of a world-class football stadium at the heart of the project.

The objective of the ‘Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force’ is to bring together local leaders and national experts to examine how stadium development can support renewal of an area of the City with rich industrial history and huge potential for the future, and deliver social and economic benefits for the entire region.

While the stadium itself won’t be part of the initial planning phase, the ultimate vision includes a state-of-the-art stadium as the centerpiece of the regeneration effort.

Foster + Partners will also provide expert recommendations on how the Old Trafford Stadium District masterplan can align with the existing Trafford Wharfside masterplan and support the objectives of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners said, “As a proud Mancunian, I am passionate about the chance to rebuild on Manchester’s great industrial heritage, creating a vibrant new mixed-use community, served by highly sustainable and improved transport links, providing homes and jobs for the local community, all catalysed by a world-class stadium for the world’s most famous football team – Manchester United.”

Collette Roche, Manchester United Chief Operating Officer, added, “We have a clear vision to transform and revitalise the club-owned land around Old Trafford and we know that Foster + Partners is the best partner to help us develop the plans. This is an area of Greater Manchester ready for major new investment so that it can thrive once more, and we are determined to help deliver those outcomes.

“We want this area to become a true destination, that not only provides an unbeatable matchday experience for our fans, but also supports other forms of entertainment, leisure, business and residential facilities surrounding a world-class stadium. Lord Foster has unrivalled experience in delivering projects of this scale and ambition.”

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