The decidedly integral urban approach to the debate on how to redevelop the Feyenoord Soccer Stadium proposed by Erick van Egeraat to a committee of specialists of the sports club, has been selected to enter a next round of reviews.
The plan suggests spin off effects for the urban quality, employment potential, available housing opportunities as well as a diversified mix of offices, hospitality, shopping, sports and entertainment, to dramatically increase the areas attractiveness for investors. ”Nowadays, this is the only way to make the renovation and expansion of a soccer stadium profitable. This is not a debate about just the number of chairs and the cost of those chairs, this is a fundamental question about public support, feasibility and necessity” according to Erick van Egeraat.
The proposal suggests to use the strong brand of Feyenoord Rotterdam to create a new centre of excellence that would play a key role in the revival of the Rotterdam South districts. The committee of specialists will propose its final advise to Feyenoord in several weeks.
The design proposal also stays very close to the original, then cutting edge design of the stadium of 1937. It is updated by adding a full roof with openable parts, chairs are added both by lowering the field and by enlarging the top tier with six rows of seating. This proposal stays very close to the intimate, compact size and atmosphere of the current stadium, and the added roof structure is places delicately over the existing building, not imposed on it.