Building Tomorrow: Sports and Venues

Every month, three different voices from the practice share their ideas about the future of the built environment. Covering a range of typologies – from healthcare to airports and the workplace – we are building a picture of tomorrow.

This month, Angus Campbell, Myron Sullivan, and Doretta Bevilacqua Gilkes consider the future of sports and venue design. They put forward a case for the outward-facing stadium that is seamlessly integrated within the urban fabric – offering an elevated hospitality experience and providing a world-class atmosphere.

Angus Campbell 

“The practice’s ethos of integrated design is particularly evident when reviewing our stadium projects, which require a range of expertise in sports, entertainment, hospitality, urban design, transport and infrastructure, amongst many others. Our vision always extends beyond the stadium gates and encompasses the surrounding public realm – with new pedestrian and transport connections and wider community benefits.

We began developing this approach with the Wembley Stadium masterplan in 1996. We flipped Wembley Arena’s entrance and loading bay – so that the stadium and arena both share the same processional route from the tube station. This creates an incredible atmosphere of anticipation, as thousands of fans exit the station and approach the two venues. More buildings have been added to our masterplan over time and the area has become a successful mixed-use district with shops, restaurants, and thousands of new homes.

Stadiums act as catalysts for regeneration and have the potential to completely transform the experience of a city. Outward-facing facilities and interactive experiences that remain open – even when the stadium is closed – are vital for activation and make a huge contribution to a project’s success.”

Angus is a senior partner who joined the practice in 1993. He has worked on a range of sports and venues projects including Wembley Stadium, Lusail Stadium in Qatar, FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou Stadium, the Hydro Arena in Glasgow, and Dammam Stadium in Saudi Arabia.

Myron Sullivan

“I lead the practice’s Venues Specialist team, which was established back in 2022. We work closely with the architectural studios and bring our specialist knowledge to every project, considering technical aspects such as sightlines, circulation, acoustics, crowd management, and safety. We collaborate with other in-house teams – from urban design and landscaping to structural engineering – ensuring that our sports and entertainment venues benefit from the practice’s full range of expertise. This is what sets us apart and makes our approach unique.

Historically, the stadium was designed as an isolated object, with little consideration of the wider context or impact on its surroundings. The practice turns this approach on its head by understanding how the building can be integrated within the urban fabric to activate local economies and provide new opportunities for community engagement. The goal is to create stadia that are not only world-class venues for sports and entertainment – but integral components of the city.

Designing successful venues requires us to delicately balance financial, technological and human considerations. We are creating highly flexible spaces that can adapt to different requirements, producing an incredible atmosphere within the stadium bowl, ensuring maximum comfort and optimising views to the action, while generating continuous footfall throughout the year with a range of immersive experiences around the perimeter.

Looking ahead to the future, I think we’ll see the incorporation of more frictionless technologies that enhance the visitor journey – in and out of the stadium – making it as seamless as possible.”

Myron is an associate partner who joined the practice in 2022. He has worked on a range of sports and venues projects, including a new sports stadium in India and the Old Trafford Stadium District in Manchester.

Doretta Bevilacqua Gilkes

“I had the fairly recent privilege of working on the concept design for Lusail Stadium, which was the centrepiece venue for the FIFA World Cup in 2022. The stadium hosted both the opening and closing ceremonies – as well as the final match – and it is one the largest football stadiums in the world.

One of our primary aims was to create an immersive atmosphere for spectators. We designed a single saddle seating bowl that brings spectators close to the pitch and heightens the sound of cheering to bring the stadium to life. Responding to Qatar’s warm climate, we designed a self-shading volume with a climate-responsive façade and a series of triangular openings, which filter dappled light onto the internal concourses. 

When I think about the future of sports design – I’m particularly interested in how architecture can help facilitate the growth of women’s football and accommodate this new demographic of players and supporters. Sports venues have the potential to bring people together, build new communities, and inspire meaningful change in the world.”

Doretta is a partner who joined the practice in 2001. She has worked on winning competition entries as well as a variety of projects from cultural to commercial, mixed-use, hotels, sports and transport infrastructure all over the world.

Artwork by the Design Communications team at Foster + Partners.