Football grounds have undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from humble sheds to futuristic arenas that captivate the imagination. This evolution is the focus of an intriguing exhibition, "Home Ground: The Architecture of Football," which delves into the social and architectural history of football stadiums.
The exhibition begins with a powerful quote from Bill Shankly, a legendary Liverpool manager, who emphasized the immense importance of football beyond life and death. Shankly's presence is felt throughout the exhibit, particularly in a tableau depicting the farewell to the Kop, a beloved terrace that transformed from a passionate tribal stand to a more serene all-seater section.
Liverpool, a city steeped in football romance and obsession, serves as the perfect backdrop for exploring the history and future of football grounds. Everton, one of Liverpool's rivals, has recently migrated to a sleek new home, the Hill Dickinson Stadium, which accommodates 52,000 fans. This stadium exemplifies the journey football has taken, from rain-soaked terraces to high-end, multi-sensory experiences, with private boxes and fine dining akin to an opera house.
The exhibition showcases the work of Archibald Leitch, a Scottish architect who designed iconic football grounds such as Anfield, Stamford Bridge, and Ibrox. Leitch's early experience designing factories and warehouses influenced his efficient and functional approach to football stadiums. His designs, including Goodison Park, the first ground in Britain with seats and terracing on all four sides, set the stage for future innovations.
While England formalized the game, it was Europe that truly revolutionized stadium design. Fiorentina in Florence employed modernist Pier Luigi Nervi to create a graceful concrete structure that showcased the material's versatility. In Rotterdam, Feyenoord's stadium embodied the functionalist ideals of the Dutch Nieuwe Bouwen movement, with a lightweight steel frame offering an unobstructed view of the pitch, a revolutionary concept at the time.
The exhibition's thematic sections are denoted by custom-designed football scarves in a vibrant emerald green, representing the grass under floodlights. In the section dedicated to Italia 90, Alberto Burri's World Cup poster features a football pitch in Rome's Colosseum, the theoretical origin of all modern football grounds. Italy's hosting efforts included billions spent on upgrading and constructing new stadiums, such as Renzo Piano's sunken bowl in Bari, with structural ribs resembling a whale's carcass.
Dominating the exhibition is a model of the San Siro in Milan, which underwent a significant transformation for Italia 90. An entirely new structure was built over the original 1926 stadium, featuring red steel roof trusses supported by corkscrew-shaped circulation towers. The optical illusion created by surging crowds gives the towers a spiraling appearance.
Surprisingly, Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, known for their radical stadium designs, are huge football enthusiasts. Their work includes the Allianz Arena in Munich, fabricated from inflatable foil cushions with LED lighting, allowing the stadium to change colors like a glowing chameleon. In Braga, Portugal, Eduardo Souto de Moura designed a stadium within a disused limestone quarry, creating a natural amphitheater where shots can rebound off cliff faces.
While the term "spaceship" is overused, football stadiums do possess an otherworldly aura, towering above neighborhoods like modern colossi. Yet, size isn't the only factor; the bijoux stand in Galashiels, Scotland, designed by Peter Womersley, accommodates 750 supporters and resembles concrete origami.
A pivotal moment in football stadium evolution was the legislation for all-seater grounds following the Hillsborough disaster. This tragedy, along with the 1985 Bradford City stadium fire, highlighted the demeaning treatment of supporters and the dangers of aging structures. The impact of these events continues to resonate nearly four decades later.
The future of football stadiums lies in sustainability and flexibility. Retractable roofs and pitches, as seen in Tottenham Hotspur's new ground, allow for a variety of events beyond football. Forest Green Rovers, managed by former bad boy Robbie Savage, has been described as "the greenest team in the world" by FIFA, demonstrating that sustainability and success can go hand in hand. Their proposed all-timber stadium, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, will be the centerpiece of a new ecology park for the local community.
The growth of women's football is also shaping the stadiums of the future. American club Kansas City Current is the first to play in a purpose-built venue for women's professional soccer, incorporating design changes to appeal to a family-oriented fanbase.
Architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner once said, "A bicycle shed is a building; Lincoln Cathedral is a piece of architecture." Football stadiums have evolved from simple sheds to architectural masterpieces, and their time to shine has arrived.
"Home Ground: The Architecture of Football" is on display at RIBA North and Tate Liverpool from October 15th to January 25th.
