The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but only for those who seek them
Sports Facilities
Mound Stand, Lord’s – London
Sep 12th
The Mound Stand at Lord’s marked the start of a key chapter in the Marylebone Cricket Club’s modern history of commissioning high-quality contemporary architecture. Designed by Sir Michael Hopkins, the stand was opened in 1987 and ushered in a series of high-quality structures at the ‘home of cricket’.
The Mound Stand essentially consists of long, curving balconies under a distinctive tent roof, and arched brickwork to the rear as it faces the street. This brickwork existed from a previous stand and forms a public concourse that stretches right around the ground. More >
Allianz Arena – Munich
Jul 23rd
When Germany was awarded the honour of hosting the football World Cup in 2004, it needed a whole new series of stadiums to take the strain, and show itself off as a sport-loving, capable nation. The Allianz Arena was one of the most successful of this new breed. Designed by the architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, Allianz Arena is most famous for its colour scheme and futuristic appearance.
Unusually, the stadium is home to two teams – Bayern Munich and TSV 1860. Bayern play in red, TSV in blue, so the architects devised a way in which the stadium could be transformed, glowing like a beacon in different colours from one week to the next. They chose to clad the 66,000 seater stadium in ETFE cushions which light up in red or blue – or white when the German national team plays. More >
