The City of Manchester Stadium, home to Manchester City Football Club, was built initially to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The innovative design allowed the stadium to be converted from a 38,000-seat athletics stadium to a 50,000-seat football stadium in just six months, ready for the start of the new football season.
Its distinctive architecture evolved from the key elements essential for the functioning of the stadium, with special consideration given to spectator comfort and safety and efficient operation. Access ramps spiral around concrete towers housing toilets and plant rooms, and form the bases for masts that support the cable system for the roof.
A seating bowl designed to work well the increased use of TV coverage with an elliptical perimeter creates elevations dipping low at the north and south ends to maximize sunlight, daylight, and air movement to the pitch.
