Villa Park – design description

How did the new redevelopment plans for Villa Park emerge?

Villa Park underwent its last major redevelopment in 2000-2001, when a new west stand, much larger than the previous one, was built from scratch. Since then there has been talk of further expansion, and there was even a plan to rebuild the north stand to resemble the west one, but this did not materialise.

In 2016 Aston Villa FC, after many years at the top league level, were relegated to the Championship. Following a further three seasons, however, the team returned to the Premier League, prompting a surge in interest in tickets, as well as hospitality packages. In response to demand, thoughts began to form on new plans for the stadium expansion and a public consultation was held. The first renderings appeared in the summer of 2022.

What are the objectives of the planned redevelopment of Villa Park?

The main idea of the planned expansion is to demolish the stand built between 1976 and 1977 behind the north gate and then construct a completely new, larger and more modern stand in its place. The new stand will connect to the adjacent ones through the corners, although it will retain its individual character. With its external appearance, it will fit in with its surroundings without intruding on the landscape.

A stone's throw behind the north stand a new building will be erected, the so-called 'Villa Live', a new retail and entertainment space designed to be a meeting place for the local community. It will house, among other things, a new club shop and a museum. As part of the project, the west stand will also undergo modernisation. Changes will include a hospitality area and the players' tunnel will be moved to a corner.

The walls, the old club shop and the academy will disappear from the area behind the north stand, and a new public space will be created instead. There will be parking spaces in the further northern section of this square. Changes will be made to the entire surroundings of the stadium to improve accessibility.

With the construction of the new stand, the stadium's number of seating will increase by approx. 7,400, increasing the total capacity of the facility from 42,749 to more than 50,000 spectators. The catering and hospitality offer will be improved and the venue is expected to attract people even outside match days. It is planned that the expansion would take place between 2023 and 2025 at a cost in excess of £100m. The project is described as the 'first phase' of the redevelopment, with further changes already under preliminary consideration.