Spurs unveils revised stadium plans
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (THFC) has unveiled revised plans for the Northumberland Development Project, which includes the club's new 58,000-seat stadium and a new public square.
Initial proposals for the scheme released by the club in October 2008 had included a 60,000-seat stadium, but the club has decided to decrease the capacity in a bid to maximise the venue's atmosphere by seating spectators closer to the pitch. KSS Group is behind the design of the new stadium, which will be built on an area of land around 20 acres (8.1 hectares), and includes the site of the current 36,000-seat White Hart Lane stadium as well as an adjacent industrial area.
The club has now revealed that a new public square has been added to plans for the scheme, which has been designed by Martha Schwartz Partners – the landscape architects behind schemes including Dublin's Grand Canal Square and Jacob Javits Plaza in New York, US. According to THFC, the new public square will feature a dedicated space for community events, including a temporary ice rink, street markets and arts performance, while a smaller, quieter space will offer an area for people to relax.
A club museum, a new base for the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, and a hotel also form part of the development proposals in order to bring further economic benefits to the area, with a planning application expected to be submitted to Haringey Council following second public consultation between 2-7 April. THFC chair, Daniel Levy, said: "Too often new stadiums are surrounded by empty, dead space and we did not want that in Tottenham. instead, with these new plans for the public square and public space, we have embraced the opportunity to create something truly special for local people.
"In respect of the stadium, we have been urging our architects to push the boundaries on technical design aspects in order to create a tighter bowl and an unbeatable matchday atmosphere. We are currently well-known for the fantastic support from the stands and we wanted to ensure that this was retained and prioritised at a new stadium."