DESIGN PROCESS

Lord’s is not a traditional stadium, in the sense that the various stands that surround the pitch each have a separate identity that contribute to the character of the Ground. Inserting a new building with its own clear and confident identity into this existing ‘campus’ of buildings, without dominating the overall composition, has been the main architectural challenge for the project.

In this pioneering project, the roof of the stand is formed from 11 cantilevered glue laminated (glulam) American white oak beams that radiate dramatically from the corner of the ground.

“Natural wood and cricket cannot be separated. The use of willow for cricket bats and ash for the stumps is as much part of the game as the leather balls, the state of the pitch and of course the weather. Populous chose to specify American white oak because it can be finely crafted, possesses a beautiful golden colour, and is immensely strong. These characterful qualities make it the perfect choice for the structure of a new canopy roof at Lord’s,”

Philip Johnson, Senior Principal at Populous, and Project Director.