Populous has been awarded responsibility for the development of the Birmingham City Football Club training centre at the Sports Quarter, by Knighthead Capital Management, LLC, on behalf of certain of its affiliates (“Knighthead”).
The training centre will bring all the necessary facilities for the Men’s, Women’s and Academy teams onto a single site, in a one campus model, adjacent to the main stadium.
This is a unique opportunity to create a beacon of sporting excellence that is also rooted in the community.
True to an ethos of allowing individuals to flourish from “street to elite”, the intention is to ensure that Birmingham City team members enjoy the same uncompromising level of support whether they are fresh into the academy or performing at the highest levels of the game.
Populous will be responsible for designing all necessary elements from the training centres that house state of the art gyms, treatment and recuperation areas, office and administration spaces through to a full range of training pitches and the groundskeeping facilities.
Nick Smith, Head of Infrastructure at Birmingham City Football Club said, “This is another important step as we press ahead with the delivery of the Sports Quarter. We are convinced that Populous will help us set new standards in sports infrastructure. Together we can create a beacon of excellence that will inspire and support our local communities as well as setting the club up for success on the pitch.”
Declan Sharkey, Senior Principal and Global Director at Populous, adds: “We are extremely proud to be designing the new training centre for Birmingham City FC. Our aim is to combine our global expertise in elite training facility design with a bespoke approach, providing the Club with an innovative, sustainable performance training environment and holistic environment for all of its teams and the staff who will use it.”