THE DEN, BERMONDSEY, LONDON
English soccer side Millwall FC has
revealed renderings of recently
approved proposed plans to expand
its home stadium, The Den, as well
as redevelop its surrounding areas.
Millwall FC has played at The Den
in Bermondsey, south east London
since 1993 (following a short move
down the road from its Old Den,
which was its home since 1901)
where the stadium has garnered a
reputation for having one of the most
lively crowd atmospheres in soccer.
As a result, the proposed design
of the new Den created by AFL
Architects is inspired by the club’s
history and the industrial past of its
surrounding area. On the exterior,
the use of brickwork arches
references the railway viaducts and
industrial past that surround the
current site. Internally, as much of
the original stadium infrastructure
as possible will be kept, to ensure
the famously intense atmosphere
of the Den will be retained.
The proposals under
development include a strategy
for incremental, phased expansion
of the existing stadium, up to a
total maximum capacity of 34,000
seats, built as additional upper
tiers behind the existing seating
bowl. This will not only provide the
facilities needed to meet Premier
League requirements – such
as additional media and player
accommodation – but will also in
the future provide enhanced
facilities for fans to transform their
match day experience.
The development strategy is
to retain as much of the existing
stadium structure as possible
while providing for a flexible
phased uplift to both facilities and
capacity over time. This not only
maintains the stadium in use for
fans, but minimizes demolition and
construction waste. The design
approach is to create spaces that
are adaptable, flexible and multiuse,
encouraging activity within
and around the stadium seven days
a week to make optimal use of
resources and create a sustainable
future for the club.
Part of the proposal is the creation
of a new public plaza at the heart
of New Bermondsey, providing an
area for the community, as well
as an engaging space for fans on
match days. This is elevated over
parking and service areas and
accommodates retail, commercial
and community use spaces along
the street frontages. Complementing
all of this will be flexible commercial
space for events and conferencing,
alongside residential developments
that would drive additional funding
to the surrounding site. ■
www.stadia-magazine.com March 2020 09
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