Tonight:
5°c
Most sports stadiums are in dusty edge-of-town locations where designers don't have to worry too much about the effects of their behemoths on their surroundings. But not Lord's: the home of cricket nestles in leafy St John's Wood, among some of the most prized domestic real estate in the world.
Expanding the ground is therefore about re-shaping a significant corner of London. It is an urban proposition, which is how the architects have approached it. Their design is not just about sticking in more seats, but about making a campus of different uses, opening up the ground's forbidding brick wall, and making a place that works even when there's no cricket going on.
Having advised the MCC on their choice of architects nearly two years ago, I'm happy to say that Herzog and de Meuron have risen to the challenge. Their plans would increase the volume of the ground while also increasing its openness, and making this extraordinary swathe of green more visible and accessible.
They have managed to retain the leafy, open aspect that is one of Lord's' charms, by building trays of seating rather than monolithic stands, and placing extensive accommodation underground is a smart, if expensive, move. Perhaps their toughest job will be working in all the new flats which will help pay for the redevelopment. It can be done, but it will take skill.
