Emirates Stadium

ABOUT EMIRATES STADIUM

Emirates Stadium

Emirates Stadium opened in 2006, replacing Highbury as the home of Arsenal after the club decided it needed a larger ground to compete financially with Europe’s biggest teams. Designed by Populous, the stadium was built on a tight urban site in North London and currently holds around 60,700 spectators. Its elliptical bowl, curved glass and steel exterior, and floating roof give it a very different look from the compact, traditional character of Highbury. The move was about more than simply adding seats. Emirates Stadium dramatically increased Arsenal’s matchday revenue and hospitality capacity, while the wider redevelopment also included new housing and public spaces around the stadium. Despite being a modern arena, the design deliberately includes references to Arsenal’s past. Elements inspired by Highbury were incorporated into the stadium’s visual identity, including typography, signage and historical references around the ground. The aim was to make the Emirates feel unmistakably Arsenal rather than like an anonymous modern stadium. The result is a stadium that represents the transition between two eras of the club. Highbury provided the history and character, while the Emirates gave Arsenal the scale, commercial potential and modern facilities needed for the 21st century. It may not have the intimacy of Highbury, but the Emirates is a clear expression of Arsenal’s attempt to combine tradition with the demands of modern football.