We have written several articles in the past about the unique commercial architecture of football stadiums and innovative projects involving them. These included plans for an all timber stadium and transforming an old unused structure into a new neighbourhood.

The latest news in this area is a plan for the regeneration of Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea Football Club. Plans for the stadium, if approved, will see its capacity increased to 60,000 and give it a beautiful new feature with prominent brick pillars around the exterior.

The design for the stadium has been created by Herzog & de Meuron in partnership with Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands. It has already attracted a great deal of attention, some for and some against. The big worry is the work will have an impact on a nearby conservation area. The benefits of the work are thought to far outweigh these though.

Arguably the most interesting aspect of the new design is the use of 264 brick pillars. These will encompass the exterior of the stadium, holding up a steel ring that will facilitate the increased capacity. Additionally they will create a covered walkway around the exterior of the building.

The use of brick is fantastic and will allow the stadium to blend in with the surrounding buildings built from the same material. It is interesting to see this kind of detail because stadiums are generally designed to stand out. Just think about the attractive cladding used on stadiums like the Allianz Arena in Munich (which surprisingly was also designed by Herzog & de Meuron).

Plans for a new football stadium have been in the works for Chelsea since 2014. Originally they planned to move to a new site but the plan to redevelop Stamford Bridge has been embraced. The work could take a step forward if permission is granted.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council have given the work the green light so there are only a few boxes left to tick. The local authority praised the design and the fact that it will transform the stadium into a unique piece of commercial architecture with landmark qualities.

The work on the site would be expected to be completed by 2021 if no issues arise