Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has announced plans for a US$6.2m (£4m) refurbishment of the J P Morgan Media Center at Lord’s cricket ground in London, UK.
Work will take place over the next two winters, and the enhanced media facility will be unveiled in time for the 2017 season – when Lord’s will host the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final.
The building will receive its first makeover since its opening in 1999, including the provision of 10 permanent TV and radio broadcast boxes – one less than at present but of increased size and flexibility, and more suited to modern-day broadcasting requirements.
The Writers’ Area will increase in size from 120 to 144 spaces, while facilities for photographers will also be upgraded with an additional five spaces (30 in total) available in an expanded area on the mezzanine level of the building. The existing bar will be relocated to a larger facility serving the dining area, which will in turn provide more usable dining space in which to accommodate the higher demand from the increased number of users.
The two existing lifts will be replaced and modernized, as will the heating and ventilation systems used throughout the building. Fixtures, fittings and ICT systems will receive an overhaul, with MCC also ensuring accessibility improvements are made.
The outside of the building will be unchanged and, subject to planning approval, the gantry beneath the shell will be extended in width and brought forward to improve the vertical line of sight for television cameras.
MCC chief executive and secretary Derek Brewer said: “The J P Morgan Media Center is an iconic building in world cricket, and was ground-breaking when MCC commissioned it, but in a rapidly changing media landscape, a significant refurbishment is required to ensure MCC can meet and exceed the demands placed on it from cricket broadcasters and writers. A US$6.2m (£4m) investment will ensure the J P Morgan Media Center will be fit for purpose for many years to come.
“With US$6.2m (£4m) already spent on improving the Grandstand this winter, and the first phase of the MCC masterplan, the US$39m (£25m) replacement of the Warner Stand, set to begin this September, MCC’s intent is clear – it is investing significantly to enhance Lord’s Cricket Ground and to ensure its position as the home of the game remains in place for future generations of cricket enthusiasts.”
MCC has developed the J P Morgan Media Center refurbishment plans in association with David Miller Architects, who worked on the original design in the late 1990s, with the project being managed by Gardiner Theobold.
May 22, 2015
