Etihad Campus, Stadium Development and Collar Site

[Blue-Eyes]

Just a point on my earlier post regarding the Pillars, I got this snippet from a contact at BAM, not one of the Architects. I'll do some digging when I next see him and report back.

Re:Wifi, I'm told that 02 were having issues servicing East Manchester for their new 4G network. The answer is to flood the stadium with Wifi and use the ground as a massive "router". Although not technically 4G, O2 customers in East Manchester will get free Wifi. I'm not sure if other network customers will get the Wifi free or be charged?

 

[more lazy than useless]

I struggled to visualise what the stadium, and especially the roof, would look like from the descriptions given in this thread so was delighted to see the image posted. Although, I have to admit that I was a little underwhelmed by the look of it. I don't suppose I'll ever see the stadium from the angle in the image, so it shouldn't matter, but it looked like a jumble of additions and extensions. Pity, given the desire for an iconic stadium.

However, when I read this it all suddenly made sense;

1 - and perhaps most obviously, the new sections of roof do not in any way meet up with the old roof. To me this is a very strong hint that they have plans to do over the east and west stands too, possibly in the near future, as the look of the stadium is a little out of kilter with the ends being much higher than the sides.

2 - The glass frontage on the outside of the new ends. I guess they could just leave it as a goldfish-bowl type deal where you can see into the stand clear as day, and when it's first opened it almost certainly will be, but I'd guess that they will cover over the glass with something. I'd like to think that they will try something fancy, i.e. the Allianz' colour changing walls, but I suspect instead it will just have motifs plastered on, in the style of the current "countdown to the title win" banners they put up last year showing shots of the QPR game. This could still be pretty impressive - the glass frontage is not broken up by external struts or by spirals, so imagine having one or two images that are each 50m tall and 100 wide. It could happen, and it would be visible from a way away, as the south end of course looks over the Ashton New Road.

If that is how it ends up - with the new roofline all the way around, and a glazed skin of any kind - then wow! Just WOW!

If they are filling in the corners at a later date (ie levelling out the top of the east and west sides) then it would make sense to alter the roofline then too.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Pies should be free if you make it to the top.

The irony.......

 

[danebanksheik]

I think we can expect to see a techned-up, connected cutting edge stadium which leads me to think that the days of grey concrete hidden behind temporary banners and posters are to end.

Apps, wifi and other stuff are already being invested in so I could see 'gimmicks' such as moving walls of light way beyond what the Allianz does really bringing the stadium structure to life.

What about the idea of being able to tweet pictures that then appear as 100ft images on the stadium 'skin'?

The tie up with LG referred to earlier would seem to be the perfect partner for the next stage of your plan although I have heard that the concrete / blue theme wil be retained with concrete couloured vinyl being used in certain places.

 

[jrb]

Looking forward the expansion/s.

Let's be honest, the South and North stands look a bit naff height wise, especially on tbe outside.

-- Sat Sep 07, 2013 12:22 pm --

Looking forward the expansion/s.

Let's be honest, the South and North stands look a bit naff height wise, especially on tbe outside.<br /><br />-- Sat Sep 07, 2013 12:24 pm --<br /><br />Looking forward the expansion/s.

Let's be honest, the South and North stands look a bit naff height wise, especially on tbe outside.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Sorry to come so late to the party, but have the club actually decided what the exact structure of the expansion will be yet? Are impressions available? I can't differentiate between fact and opinion on this thread.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry to come so late to the party, but have the club actually decided what the exact structure of the expansion will be yet? Are impressions available? I can't differentiate between fact and opinion on this thread.

Facts are the stadium getting extended at both the South & North stand ends. Option to move away fans or leave them where they are. Plans can be seen at the ground as to what the seating extension may look like but no firm ideas on what the outside will look like. One City related plan shows a big glass front to the extended South Stand so the speculation is about what they will do with that, what will happen to CB & East Stands as the roof will be out of kilter to the extended stands.

I think.

 

[fbloke]

I think we can expect to see a techned-up, connected cutting edge stadium which leads me to think that the days of grey concrete hidden behind temporary banners and posters are to end.

Apps, wifi and other stuff are already being invested in so I could see 'gimmicks' such as moving walls of light way beyond what the Allianz does really bringing the stadium structure to life.

What about the idea of being able to tweet pictures that then appear as 100ft images on the stadium 'skin'?

The tie up with LG referred to earlier would seem to be the perfect partner for the next stage of your plan although I have heard that the concrete / blue theme wil be retained with concrete couloured vinyl being used in certain places.

I suspect that a few of the things we have seen delivered on the campus recently are perhaps testing out ideas for future use too?

The blue on Joe Mercer Way could be a test for external paints on other concrete surfaces, the large images may have been a trial for such things at the academy site or on the extended stadium for example?

I sense though that there will be a real techy edge to what the club do and as you say partnering with LG (and including the academy site in that partnership) hints at the fact that they already have an eye on future plans.

Of course a sponsorship deal would also be easier to tie up at a cutting edge stadium facility too prehaps?

 

[BoyBlue_1985]

What I would like to see is heating in the concourse when the temperature is minus 2 trillion and you just want to get home, haha


Really though I looked on the site but does anyone sort of know when formal announcement to begin expansion will be

 

[pride in battle]

What I would like to see is heating in the concourse when the temperature is minus 2 trillion and you just want to get home, haha


Really though I looked on the site but does anyone sort of know when formal announcement to begin expansion will be

They haven't actually said 'expansion' is definitely going to happen, approx 3 weeks time we will know more when consultation has finished....