'Triumphant Arch' will crown the new Wembley
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A dramatic "triumphant arch" will crown the new £475 million national stadium at Wembley, it was announced today.
A dramatic "triumphant arch" will crown the new £475 million national stadium at Wembley, it was announced today.
The 153 metre-tall steel structure arching directly over the arena replaces the original design, featuring four sky-scraping masts, revealed in the summer.Architect Lord Foster, speaking at the launch of the new design at Wembley, north west London, said: "It is a triumphant arch.
"In the spirit of any team, we have sought to push back the limits to generate an improved performance and in this case design."
The unveiling of the arch came as the full planning application for the new 90,000-seat English national stadium, which will receive £120m in Lottery funding, was submitted to the local authority, Brent Council.
Bosses of Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL), in charge of the venture, face a tight deadline to obtain planning permission ahead of the decision expected next July by football's governing body, FIFA, on who should host the 2006 World Cup.
Chelsea chairman Ken Bates, also chairman of WNSL, declared himself confident that all deadlines would be met as he proclaimed the arch design was now "frozen" and could not be tinkered with by a faceless design committee.
"There will be no committees on this Wembley stadium. We have a commitment to what we have just unveiled and we are going to build it. We open in 2003," he told a launch news conference.
Lord Foster denied his original blueprint had been changed after criticism that it would be too similar to the Stade National in Paris and the Millennium Dome - designed by rival Lord Rogers.
The architect, who designed Stansted Airport, underlined the unique nature of his new feature, dreamed up within days of unveiling the original design in July, but insisted it had been brought in for practical reasons.
Lord Foster said: "It is a bonus that it will be unique. The original problem was that the masts obscured the view from the banqueting halls down Olympic Way and this is a more economical and dramatic solution."
The new design, which uses up to a third less steel than the original, will not increase the projected cost of the project, he added.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments