The MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) has been granted planning permission by Westminster City Council to redevelop the south-west corner of Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
The South-Western Project, which also includes a new Thomas Lord building (above) and a new Tavern Pub, is phase two of the masterplan for Lord’s.
The earliest that work will begin on the project in its current form will be autumn 2019, due to the need for Lord’s to be free of building works that summer for the ICC Cricket World Cup.
The key components of the scheme include: a new Tavern & Allen Stand, with the construction of a new 5,200-seat single structure to replace the existing two, the design providing an increase of 1,082 seats compared to the existing stand; a new Thomas Lord Building with a street-facing reception, banqueting suite, and offices for MCC staff; a new Tavern pub, opening into the Harris Garden (above) rather than onto the street; the enhancement of the area around the Grace Gates (below) to establish a more welcoming, pedestrian-friendly public realm; a new Harris Garden Building, with a bar facing out onto the garden and additional dressing rooms both for squash and tennis players, in order to better accommodate double header matches; the reorganization of the Pavilion to enlarge the dressing rooms and convert a current office, physio room and women’s toilets on the corridor between the two dressing rooms into space for team management and a players’ gym; and an enlarged and deepened basement to enable vehicles to make deliveries directly to catering facilities, removing the need to use the Grace Gate entrance.
Work on phase one of the masterplan for Lord’s, the redevelopment of the Warner Stand, began in September this year with the new stand to be completed by the 2017 season.
The stand will, however, be in use during the 2016 season, to allow Lord’s to operate at full seating capacity during major matches.
Images: Populous
October 30, 2015
