London is set to get another rooftop swimming pool — courtesy of Fulham Football Club.
The west London football team has unveiled more detailed plans for the New Riverside Stand, a “premium experience that will be unlike anything in football” said Fulham FC chairman Shahid Khan.
Replacing the old stand that was demolished in 2019, the new development at the Craven Cottage Stadium is due to finally open this year after a series of delays.
Three of the topmost floors of the redeveloped stand will be given over to the Sky Deck, which will host “experiential food and drink pop-ups” with views out over the River Thames.
Luxury matchday experience ticketholders can also pack their swimwear if they want to experience the rooftop pool.
There are plans for two Michelin Star restaurants in the New Riverside Stand — The Gourmet and The Brasserie.
The Gourmet will overlook the river and offer both indoor and outdoor dining, with a four course a la carte menu offering champagne, fine wine, and cocktails
For those that want a view of the pitch as well as the river, The Brasserie will be dual sided.
A new “intimate football experience” called The Dugout will allow certain ticketholders to sit right behind the football coaches, as close as three and a half metres from the touchline. The Dugout will also include a bar and “immersive audio-visual technology”.
The Riverside Stand has been designed by Populous, the Putney-based architects behind Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Sphere in Las Vegas, and the now-cancelled MSG Sphere for Stratford.
“Our vision for the New Riverside Stand at Craven Cottage was to create a unique experience that has not been seen before, whether in the context of football or beyond,” said Philip Johnson, senior principal at Populous. Tickets for these “matchday experiences” will go on sale on 9 April.
The Dugout tickets and the offerings available with a new premium general admission ticket are scheduled to open along with the kick-off of the 2024/25 Premier League season in August.
The Sky Deck is scheduled to open in December, along with the rest of the New Riverside Stan.
“My vision for the New Riverside Stand was to provide our fans, and our neighbourhood, with a destination that would continue to honour our history and tradition at Craven Cottage every day of the year,” said Khan
“In short, today isn’t about finally being able to offer a higher standard of hospitality options that have essentially been unavailable to Fulham supporters until now.”
“It’s about offering the ultimate match day hospitality experience in the world that will also benefit the long-term promise and future of Fulham Football Club. The New Riverside Stand at Craven Cottage will make it possible.”
