CLAD PEOPLE PROJECT
White Hart Lane, London
Creating an accessible public space is important commercially, but it’s even more important socially Chris Lee managing director Populous
T
he architect masterminding a
“The great thing about football
new home for English football
clubs is we, the fans, own them. The
team Tottenham Hotspur –
people who live here should think,
billed by the Premier League
‘This is my club, I walk past it every
club as “the most unique sports
day and I feel a part of it.’ Creating
and entertainment destination in
an accessible public space is
Europe” – has lifted the lid on how
important commercially, but it’s
the stadium will create an important
even more important socially.
hub for the local community. Speaking to CLAD during a tour
isn’t the Emirates [the stadium of
managing director of architects
rival team Arsenal, also designed
Populous, said the key driver of the
by Populous], it’s the High Street.
£750m (US$932.2m, ¤879.4m)
The aim is to get fans to come
White Hart Lane project is the desire
earlier, dine with us, and experience
to create “a civic building that is
the stadium. On many levels this
physically and emotionally knitted
approach to the community is
into the local community.”
what’s changed most in the last 15
61,000-capacity ground will house
managing director at Populous, is overseeing the stadium development
years of stadium design.” Lee explained how the design
restaurants, street food stalls,
team drew inspiration from the old
five-a-side football pitches and a
stadiums of England and Europe
microbrewery. There will also be a
to create a facility with an electric
museum dedicated to the club and
match-day atmosphere. A tight
local area and an extreme sports
atmospheric bowl, which places
centre with Europe’s highest climbing
spectators in the north and south
wall and a seven-storey diving tank.
stands just 5m (16.4ft) away from
The club says the development will
the action, and the addition of a
create 3,500 jobs and pump £293m
17,000-seat single-tier stand – the
(US$364m, ¤343.5m) into the local
largest in the UK – will generate
economy each year.
“a wall of sound” that reverberates
“Currently Tottenham doesn’t have
around the ground. Expert
a centre,” said Lee. “We’re creating
acousticians have optimised the
a space the size of Trafalgar Square
sound within the stadium bowl.
that will be open 24 hours a day, linking both sides of the stadium.
18 CLADGLOBAL.COM
me that this stadium’s competition
of the construction site, Chris Lee,
A plaza to the south of the
Christopher Lee,
“Someone from the club told
“One of the things Daniel Levy [the chairman] was scared of was
CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 2