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Just a day after Everton announced the results from the survey regarding the key principles around the design of the Bramley-Moore stadium, the architect Dan Meis dropped some hints on Twitter regarding the stadium capacity.
Looking forward to first in-person fan engagement sessions in early April. Quite a heavy debate about capacity....and no, it doesn’t mean that design isn’t progressing while engaging fans. Feedback is ongoing, feeds the process...
— danmeis (@Meisarch) March 22, 2018
Looking forward to first in-person fan engagement sessions in early April. Quite a heavy debate about capacity....and no, it doesn’t mean that design isn’t progressing while engaging fans. Feedback is ongoing, feeds the process...
The fan engagement sessions he refers to start in the first week of April, and all the Blues who took part in the original survey are invited to attend these events by registering here.
The question of capacity is less about other grounds than what is “right sized” for Everton?..on this site. Naturally there are constraints, both physical and financial. Capacity won’t be limited by lack of ambition, nor should it be driven by size envy...
— danmeis (@Meisarch) March 22, 2018
The question of capacity is less about other grounds than what is “right sized” for Everton?..on this site. Naturally there are constraints, both physical and financial. Capacity won’t be limited by lack of ambition, nor should it be driven by size envy...
Goodison Park currently holds 39,572 fans and for months since the Bramley-Moore news became official, fans have been hoping to hear that the new stadium will hold anywhere from 45,000 to 60,000 rabid Blues.
If bigger was always better, and more seats ALWAYS meant more revenue, everyone would build 100k+. In reality there are several very complex factors that tune both the experience and the revenue just right...ie too many seats and the value of each drops precipitously
— danmeis (@Meisarch) March 22, 2018
If bigger was always better, and more seats ALWAYS meant more revenue, everyone would build 100k+. In reality there are several very complex factors that tune both the experience and the revenue just right...ie too many seats and the value of each drops precipitously
The location on the docks means Meis will be under some severe constraints around the size of the stadium. However, he has always maintained that the new arena will be ‘steep’ to keep the fans on top of the action and create that intimidating atmosphere.
In the just-concluded survey, fans voted the principle that Bramley-Moore should be a ‘Fortress’ as the #1 factor for the new stadium.
The goal is to create an incredibly intimidating, seats-on-top-of-the-pitch, stadium that creates an unmatched home pitch advantage. Empty seats do not contribute to that no matter how big the stadium...
— danmeis (@Meisarch) March 22, 2018
The goal is to create an incredibly intimidating, seats-on-top-of-the-pitch, stadium that creates an unmatched home pitch advantage. Empty seats do not contribute to that no matter how big the stadium...
Most new stadia around Europe have seen a spike in anywhere from 40-60% of ticket sales after moving to a new stadium. Should Meis follow that model, then we could be looking at anywhere between 55,000-65,000 seats, but it appears the architect is tempering those expectations with his latest statements.
UPDATE: In response to some fan opinions, Meis went on to add -
This is my personal view...as a professional who has been designing stadiums for 30 years, not speaking for Everton. I understand the passion for 60k+ (particularly 61878) but know that there are several important factors that will drive it in the end.
— danmeis (@Meisarch) March 22, 2018
It isn’t a popularity contest and I am not “designing by twitter”. I care about this club as much as you do. In the end, if this isn’t the greatest home ground in English football I would consider it a failure. Capacity is only one factor in that magic formula, like it or not.
— danmeis (@Meisarch) March 22, 2018