Everton Stadium will be the city’s “fourth grace” and a catalyst to transform Liverpool’s iconic waterfront, according to the build architects. Dipesh Patel, Principal of Everton Stadium technical architects BDP Pattern, believes the 52,888-seater stadium will start a ripple effect that revolutionises one of the most historic but neglected areas of the city and feels the impact of the build can be similar to that achieved following BDP Pattern’s construction of the Etihad Stadium, which has breathed new life into one of the most deprived areas of neighbouring Manchester.
He said: “What excites me most about Everton Stadium is urban regeneration. This part of Liverpool has been in decay for decades.
“The very fine docks and surrounding warehouses are largely unused and closed to the public and it reminds me, very much, of when I first went to Eastlands in Manchester in 1998, when we started the City of Manchester Stadium (later known as The Etihad). The area was one of the most disadvantaged in Europe, with major social and infrastructure challenges.
“Today, it is a thriving new part of Manchester, with continuous development since the stadium was competed in 2002 for the Commonwealth Games. The area that surrounds Bramley-Moore Dock is almost identical, with the key difference that it is a much more prominent part of the city.
“The main challenges at Everton Stadium have been the waterfront location and the issues it creates around climate and single aspect entry. I am pleased that these have been overcome with detailed computer models to simulate the conditions and generate the solutions now employed in the design.
“I hope and believe that the ripple event of Everton’s new home in that location will be transformational to the waterfront and city as a whole.”
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Estimates are that Everton Stadium – which is being built to become the most sustainable stadium in the country – along with any associated development in North Liverpool, will generate a £1.3billion boost to the economy, create tens of thousands of jobs and attract 1.4m visitors to the city annually.
The stadium is just over one year into an expected three-year build, and is set to open in the 2024/25 season. Patel, whose team of architects joined the club’s design team in 2018, when invited by Everton to join as technical architect to support New York-based MEIS Architects, added: “It is not just a football ground; it is a once-in-a-generation project that will act as a catalyst for more than £650m worth of accelerated regeneration.
“Everton’s new stadium will be the start or end point for a river-walk, connecting the south of the city to the north, as well creating new major public spaces for events on non-matchdays.
“It will become a vital part of the city’s tourism offer; a new destination for anyone visiting Liverpool and for those cruise ships sailing past, or as the visuals on postcards or images being beamed around the world. Everton’s new stadium will be the city of Liverpool’s ‘fourth grace’.”
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