**Manchester United have finally unveiled their plans for an ambitious new stadium and Norman Foster is at the heart of its execution.**
In the release by Man Utd announcing the new stadium, there are quotes from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Omar Berrada, and more, but Norman Foster is not a name generally associated with Man Utd.
However, he’s the one tasked with bringing United’s new stadium to life, an ambitious project at the heart of the regeneration of Manchester’s wider area.
Here’s all you need to know about Norman Foster from a Man Utd point of view as he seeks to deliver a state-of-the-art 100,000-seater stadium to the club.
Photo By Gustavo Valiente/Europa Press via Getty Images
Norman Foster is an 89-year-old architect who’s regarded as a legend in British architecture, famous for his development of high-tech architecture.
Before Old Trafford, he has had a hand in building some of the most iconic buildings in history, like the Apple Park, Spotify Camp Nou, and he was also involved in the process for building the new Wembley.
Foster is from Manchester, born in Reddish, Stockport, so he will have a special connection to this project, arguably among his most illustrious ones.
He’s been involved with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s efforts to push for a new stadium instead of Old Trafford’s redevelopment since the very beginning so it comes as no surprise his firm is at the centre of it.
Foster cut an excited figure while giving his thoughts on this project, calling it “one of the most exciting projects in the world today”.
He gave the reasoning for having an outsized umbrella over the stadium and spoke about the wider efforts to make Manchester the hub of all activity.
He said: “This has to be one of the most exciting projects in the world today, with incredible regional and national significance. It all starts with the fans’ experience, bringing them closer than ever to the pitch and acoustically cultivating a huge roar.
“The stadium is contained by a vast umbrella, harvesting energy and rainwater, and sheltering a new public plaza that is twice the size of Trafalgar Square.
“The outward-looking stadium will be the beating heart of a new sustainable district, which is completely walkable, served by public transport, and endowed by nature. It is a mixed-use miniature city of the future – driving a new wave of growth and creating a global destination that Mancunians can be proud of.”
Ratcliffe had been pushing for a new stadium from the very beginning and this is the first concrete step taken towards realising what should easily be a project for the next decade.
United are finally getting the attention they have needed, and deserved all this time. Norman Foster is at the centre of it all.