Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has announced plans for the second phase of the masterplan for the redevelopment of Lord’s – the South-Western Project.
The project, which is the biggest planned phase of the masterplan for Lord’s, includes a replacement for the Tavern and Allen stands; a new Thomas Lord Building; a new Tavern pub; and internal reorganization of the Pavilion to provide more room for cricket teams and staff. It will also open up the area around the Grace Gates on St John’s Wood Road to establish a more pedestrian-friendly entrance to the ground.
Additional aspects of the project include a new Harris Garden Building with a bar opening out on to the garden, and additional dressing rooms both for tennis and squash players. There will also be an enlarged and deepened basement, which will enable vehicles to make deliveries directly to catering facilities underground, thus reducing the need to use the Grace Gate entrance.
The club has decided to redevelop this area of the ground as the Tavern and Allen stands have poor accessibility, no passenger lifts, and limited catering facilities that are no longer fit for purpose.
Secondly, the area offers scope to increase capacity for MCC members and their friends. The new stand – which is a single structure replacing two structures – will have more than 1,400 more seats to better satisfy demand from MCC members. In total, the capacity of the new stand will be 5,520.
Thirdly, the project will restore the ceremonial nature of the Grace Gates by re-directing delivery traffic underground below the Thomas Lord Building, thus making the entrance to Lord’s more public-friendly. The new, larger basement beneath the building will allow more efficient waste management and back-of-house operations, as well as improving circulation.
Finally, the Thomas Lord Building will house new staff offices and a new reception, which the club says will improve both MCC’s operational efficiency and security.
The plans have been designed by Populous, the architect of the new Warner Stand at Lord’s. The project is set to increase the capacity of Lord’s to almost 30,000 and its current budget is approaching US$120m (£80m).
MCC is aiming to complete construction of the new stand between the autumn of 2017 and spring of 2019 in time for the ICC Cricket World Cup and Ashes series in 2019. The rest of the development is scheduled for completion between the autumn of 2019 and spring of 2022.
As is the case with the proposed new Warner Stand, the floodlight will be incorporated into the building, reducing the visual impact of the pylon.
Derek Brewer, MCC chief executive and secretary, said, “The South-Western Project will ensure facilities for players, match officials, supporters and MCC members are of the highest possible standard by modernizing areas of the ground that have become tired. MCC is committed to maintaining Lord’s as the finest cricket ground in the world, and this project also provides a wonderful new front door to the Home of Cricket.”
MCC is consulting with members and local residents about the project, with the aim of submitting a planning application to Westminster City Council in summer 2015.
April 21, 2015
