Millwall FC has unveiled plans to expand its football stadium, as the team says its ambition is to have facilities fit for the Premier League
Millwall now needs to reach an agreement with Lewisham Council on the new lease for The Den and adjoining land.
The club said it wished to advance these discussions to “unlock the potential of the development for all”.
Once a new lease has been agreed the team can prepare its planning application and link with a developer partner.
Millwall stadium redevelopment
Millwall’s ambition is to have a stadium with facilities that are ultimately fit for Premier League football and new resources and facilities to benefit the local community.
The proposals under development, which are being prepared by AFL Architects, include a strategy for incremental, phased expansion of the existing stadium, up to a total maximum capacity of 34,000 seats, built as additional upper tiers behind the existing seating bowl. This will provide the facilities needed to meet Premier League requirements – such as additional media and player accommodation.
Part of the proposal is to create a vibrant new public plaza at the heart of New Bermondsey, providing a valuable amenity for the surrounding community – new and old – as well as an engaging space for fans on matchdays. This is elevated over parking and service areas and accommodates retail, commercial and community use spaces along the street frontages.
Complementing all of this will be flexible commercial space for events and conferencing, alongside residential developments.
Millwall stadium development strategy is to retain as much of the existing stadium structure as possible while providing a flexible phased uplift to both facilities and capacity over time.
Steve Kavanagh, Millwall’s chief executive, said: “It has been a long and at times difficult journey to this point, but we are delighted with progress now. As long as we can secure an appropriate new lease, we can play our part in the growth and development of Millwall Football Club and its community.
“Over time we will bring our stadium up to Premier League standards while ensuring that our presence in Lewisham is sustainable and that we remain a force for good.”
Bruce Caldwell, senior associate of AFL Architects, addded: “This news is the best of all possible outcomes. Not only does the club have a clear plan for its future growth that retains its unique brand, but the wider community will reap the benefits.
“The retention of much of the existing stadium structure ensures AFL is aligning our development plans with the Architecture Journal’s RetroFirst campaign, championing reuse in the built environment. We are also committed to using locally sourced traditional materials where possible, such as London Stock Brick for the stadium facades.
“We are thrilled to be a part of this exciting, sustainable regeneration and look forward to putting the plans in motion.”
Design inspiration
The Millwall stadium redevelopment design of the new proposals has been inspired by the history of Millwall Football Club and its surroundings. The use of brickwork arches references the railway viaducts and industrial past that surround the current site, and also those at Millwall Park, which was home to the club on the Isle of Dogs over one hundred years ago, where the brick railway viaduct can be seen in the background of historic match photographs.
Internally, as much of the original stadium infrastructure as possible will be kept.
