1.2K 
The small English market town of Stroud will soon receive a major enhancement to its cultural infrastructure from a big global architecture firm. The Forest Green Rovers Football Club has selected world-renowned Zaha Hadid Architects as the winner in a design competition for their new stadium. The announcement comes seven months after the start of the competition, which saw bids placed from countries around the world, including the United States, Germany, France, and Sweden.
Glenn Howells Architects was the other finalist in the competition. The two firms were selected following a shortlisting of nine entries, which were each given additional time to refine their submissions. Zaha Hadid and Glenn Howells were then granted another two months to perfect their vision, producing scale models for a three-dimensional portrayal of their respective stadium designs.
The stadium's innovative all-wood design — the first of its kind anywhere in the world — boasts a comparably small environmental footprint. About three quarters of the lifetime carbon impact of stadiums can be traced to the building material. By utilizing wood, the facility will have the lowest embodied carbon of any stadium on the planet. Nearly all elements of the development, from its louvred cladding to roof cantilevers, will be manufactured from sustainably sourced timber. Even the floor slab and seating terraces, typically composed of steel and concrete, will be made from wood.
The venue will be topped by a transparent membrane, contributing to the growth of the turf, minimizing shadowing, and reducing the overall visual impact of the stadium from afar. The stadium's design accommodates the long-term growth of the club. Initially providing space for 5,000 spectators, the configuration can easily be altered to increase capacity to 10,000.
The stadium will become the centrepiece of the £100 million Eco Park development, a 100-acre sports and green technology business park adjacent to junction 13 of the M5 motorway. On full build-out, the project will contain state-of-the-art sporting facilities, publicly accessible multi-disciplinary facilities, a sports science hub, and commercial offices. The project's close relationship with the environment will be amplified through the development of an on-site nature reserve and restoration of the Stroudwater canal.
Additional images and information can be found in the Database file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion or share your photos? Check out the associated Forum thread or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
