The showpiece ground, designed by Heatherwick Studio with US stadium specialist MANICA, will formed the centrepiece of a new Birmingham Sports Quarter in Bordesley Green .
The Birmingham City Powerhouse stadium will cost an estimated £1.2bn to build. Its unique design delivers a steep, tight bowl forming a 360-degree wall of supporters and high-performing acoustics to amplify the noise and football atmosphere.
The retractable roof and moveable pitch will allow the stadium to flip between football, major events and concerts
The twelve chimney-form towers echo the brickworks that once sat on the site.
They will provide structural support for the roof while accommodating lifts and staircases and helping with ventilation.
One chimney will even contain a lift to the highest bar in the city, offering panoramic views and a storytelling experience celebrating Birmingham’s industrial past.
At ground level, the championship club promises a genuine seven-day destination rather than a matchday-only fortress. Plans include food markets, cafés, play areas and new public realm to open up a previously closed-off pocket of East Birmingham.
Tom Wagner, Knighthead co-CEO and Birmingham City chairman, said the target was to have the stadium open for the 2030/31 season, with public engagement kicking off in 2026.
The Powerhouse will be visible from 40 miles away and is pitched as a new beacon on the city skyline
“This is a huge milestone for Birmingham City Football Club, creating a home for the club that reflects our ambition to compete at the highest level. More than that, the iconic design is a statement of intent for the City of Birmingham and the West Midlands, testament to a region that is on the rise.
“The stadium draws upon the proud heritage of the West Midlands – a heritage of industry, ingenuity and growth.”
Thomas Heatherwick, founder and design director of Heatherwick Studio, said: “Too often, stadiums feel like spaceships that could have landed anywhere, sterilising the surrounding area.
“Ours grows from Birmingham itself — from its brickworks, its history of a thousand trades, and the craft at the core of its culture. Our goal is to capture the spirit of the city and play it back to Birmingham.”
