On match day at Fulham, the supporters join in with The Clash’s “London Calling.” As the song progresses, they sing loudly: “Because London is flooding, I survive by the riverside.” This classic Premier League team calls home to the shores of the River Thames, making the lyrics even more fitting for their location within one of London’s loveliest areas.

Fulham FC initially began playing at Craven Cottage in 1896; however, nowadays, their stadium stands as an example of what modern-day football and various forms of entertainment could look like in this era.

The Riverside Stand, complete with a swimming pool, spa, hotel accommodations, a kids’ play zone, and Italian marble lavatory sinks, stands far apart from conventional football stadiums.

The idea is that the football club won’t merely become active on game days every fortnight; instead, it will be integrated into the community.

Thus, there is a cafe available for local people to use on days without football matches, and conference rooms can also be rented where employees can look out at the rowers sailing smoothly along the Thames.

The redesign of Fulham marks the most recent undertaking for Populous, a global architectural company that focuses on entertainment spaces.

From

The Sphere

From the distinctive LED entertainment center in Las Vegas to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, and now Fulham by the River Thames, they create custom sports and music venues.

The Populous firm is part of a lineup of architectural companies responsible for many of the world’s most recognizable stadiums. Other notable firms include Foster + Partners, who designed Manchester United’s new Old Trafford; GMP Architekten, known for the Universiade Sports Center in China; and HOK, which created the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The £2.3 billion revamp of Old Trafford has attracted attention due to concerns over the broader redevelopment of surrounding areas necessary to support a potential 100,000-seat arena.

More than just a sports arena

At Craven Cottage once again, both the future and the past are on display.

On one side of the pitch is the grade II listed Johnny Haynes stand, with its wooden seats and decades of history.

On the opposite side lies the designer Riverside Stand, offering stunning vistas of the river.

More and more, football arenas and concert halls have turned into our contemporary places of worship, serving as destinations for adoring our icons—whether they are athletes or musicians.

However, could these innovations be turning into somewhat similar entities? Lifeless and unoriginal solutions that apply to everyone? Or are they evolving into versatile community centers for the public?

During the tour of the booth, the focus is being placed on the fact that this is not
just
A football stadium contains a children’s play area equipped with small-sized toilets and cushioned flooring. Stepping back a decade, children visiting football stadiums faced significant risks.

The swimming pool on the roof is perhaps the
piece de resistance.
It states for members only, “visit Fulham and swim by the riverside – provided you can afford it.” The same applies to the spa.

The luxurious Italian marble sinks in the restrooms offer an entirely different experience compared to the typically unsavoury conditions often found at football club facilities.

The elegant bars, along with five dining options and conference facilities, add a sophisticated touch. Rooms located on the upper levels provide stunning views of London for devoted enthusiasts.

The executive suites feature tapestries alongside automated climate control systems that adjust based on the number of occupants.

Maria Knutsson-Hall, a lead architect at Populous and one of the designers behind the Riverside Stand, mentioned that their concept focused on ensuring continuous utilization of the structure.

The idea behind the Riverside Stand is all about reinventing both the matchday and non-matchday experiences,” she explains to LFHCK IDCulture while standing next to the pitch. “Traditionally, these stadium areas have been used exclusively for game days.

Until recently, Fulham’s grounds have obstructed a favored riverside pathway along the Thames, necessitating that pedestrians circumnavigate the stadium to continue their route. That is no longer the case.

Visitors have the option to walk past the stadium’s entrance and then exit at the cafe.

Fulham last claimed a trophy in 2002 by winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup. On Sunday afternoon, they boosted their prospects of qualifying for European competition next season by causing Liverpool’s first away league loss this season as the Reds were contending for the title.

The proposed Riverside stand investment, reportedly amounting to approximately €100 million, aims to increase the seating capacity to roughly 28,000; however, it remains uncertain whether the club plans additional expansions.

Bespoke buildings

Knuttson-Hall has worked on the Sphere, and other designs at Italy’s AS Roma football club and the Stade de la Meinau in Strasbourg.

She explains that every design caters specifically to the requirements of each individual club, and there is an emerging trend in entertainment architecture aimed at making stadiums more appealing to a wider audience.

“Every project we undertake adopts a highly customized approach. We usually address both the setting and location, as well as the specific club or community involved, with this tailored method,” she explains.

The shifts in demographics and alterations in cultural behaviors indicate that designs must accommodate these new requirements. The various amenities and versatile uses observed within stadiums reflect this evolving pattern.

She is pointing to the surge in women’s soccer.

We notice a sudden shift in demographics arriving at the sports arenas we’re designing. The audience has become significantly more diverse and inclusive compared to what it was like about ten or fifteen years ago. This transformation is primarily due to evolving interests in sports as well as the growing prominence of women’s sporting events, necessitating designs that cater to everyone.

“The transformation of music venues and stadiums into platforms for musical performances alters the demographics within these spaces. For instance, you could have an event like the one with Beyoncé at Tottenham, attracting mainly women attendees one week, followed by a switch to primarily men attending a football game the following week,” says Knuttson-Hall.

She points out that another significant trend in modern stadium design focuses on sustainability.

The more we utilize large structures that require substantial carbon emissions for construction, the better. However, we’ve noticed an uptick in revenues from the buildings we design as they become increasingly used on a day-to-day basis.

Knuttson-Hall maintains that each stadium project has its own unique characteristics.

Each project we undertake places significant importance on engaging with our fans and audiences, aiming to create a space where they can truly belong,” she explains. “This approach sets us apart from typical venues, ensuring that visitors do not experience just another ordinary structure but instead find themselves in an environment that feels warm and familiar, much like their own neighborhood.

Since the

pandemic

The longing for live events has intensified. In the future, we can expect a fusion of technology with conventional methods of watching football matches or attending concerts.

“I believe we have witnessed a significant growth since the start of the pandemic. Individuals enjoy gathering and sharing live experiences. This trend remains robust. While our efforts now incorporate a more inventive digital aspect powered by technology, we aren’t observing an end to live events,” explains Knuttson-Hall.

What we’re witnessing is the ability to augment the live experience with an additional form of engagement alongside it, enhancing overall enjoyment. This could range from using VR headsets to leveraging content on your smartphone, both serving as avenues for moving ahead.

“As we discuss this today, you currently use rather bulky headsets, but it’s clear that the technology will become more streamlined in the future. You’ll be able to access overlays of information, such as real-time data, or features like instantaneous replay which you might typically experience when watching television at home.”

World Cup visions

Knuttson-Hall is part of the team designing the Mohammed bin Salman Stadium, a ‘hybrid’ venue intended for the 2034 World Cup hosted in Saudi Arabia.

You’ll have the chance to watch a classic football match taking place there. This experience will be augmented with digital elements and displays. Additionally, during live events, you can visit and maybe delve into the concept of exploration.

e-sports

She clarifies, “Events and esports football events offer a distinct experience.”

Sound

, or at times even silence, plays a key role in stadiums where fans gather to demonstrate their support for their team or idol.

Mark Murphy, a co-founder of Experience Studios—a company owned by Populous that specializes in audiovisual and acoustic design—was tasked with maintaining silence during the renovation of Centre Court.

Wimbledon

To keep the noise levels consistent after installing the new roof.

Part of this task involved measuring the acoustics in the historic center court near the baseline where the players stand, as the club’s worry was that during the final moments before winning the championship, there is often a profound silence. It was crucial to capture and preserve that silent instant even after enclosing the structure.

That experience was one-of-a-kind for me—grasping its significance, its impact on the fans, the club, and the players who find it exceptionally meaningful.