Everton Football Club gave the world a glimpse of what its future would look like with a test event between Everton U18 and their counterparts from Wigan Athletic. The match, won 2-1 by Wigan, allowed 10,000 lucky Evertonians to flood the South Stand as the club prepares to move into the ground by the beginning of next season.
Fans were left wowed and mesmerised by the grandeur of the new stadium, capable of housing 52,888. Architect Dan Meis’s understanding of the history and heritage of the club as well as Goodison are also on display with the new stadium reflecting a more traditional design compared to some of the stadiums that have been built in recent years.
“My biggest challenge at Everton was, ‘How do you capture the lightning in a bottle that is Goodison Park?’” the architect told City AM.
“I don’t believe in this big, shiny object with LED video screens everywhere. I think that this really comes down to what makes a football game so special – particularly an English football game. There’s just nothing like that experience.”
Great care was taken to preserve the existing features of the Bramley-Moore Dock area. Old railway tracks, dock walls, and a hydraulic tower are a part of the new stadium complex.
“With Everton, we worked really hard to make it feel like the building kind of grew out of the historic fabric of that area. And I think that’s important.
“I didn’t start with talking about a stadium. I started with diving deep into the history of the club and the fanbase and what makes that club unique to those fans.”
Meis, who shared his vision for Everton’s new home for the first time in July 2019, also incorporated fan feedback during his sketching and designing processes. Those ideas have already transpired into reality, giving Evertonians a place they get to call home for the future.