December 2 – English Football League (EFL) side Leyton Orient have appointed global architecture heavyweight Populous to lead the design and master-planning of a new stadium and multi-sport campus.
The project, unveiled in partnership with Waltham Forest Council, aims to deliver a world-class home for Orient’s men’s and women’s teams as well as a London franchise in the European League of (American) Football.
Retail, hospitality, leisure and year-round event spaces will be woven into a wider mixed-use campus intended to provide diversified revenue streams strong enough to support Orient’s ambition of becoming a stable EFL Championship club.
For Orient, the move carries historical weight. As the club closest to the former Olympic Stadium, now West Ham’s home, they long argued they should not be left behind in the post-Games reshaping of East London.
Former owner Barry Hearn lobbied then-London Mayor Boris Johnson to allow Orient to play one or two games a season at the venue – an offer that went nowhere as West Ham secured what has since been described as a competition-distorting, peppercorn-rent deal.
Against that backdrop, Orient’s decision to strike out with their own major development feels like a well-deserved a reset after years spent in the long shadow of Stratford.
“Appointing Populous is a major milestone and a clear statement of our ambition,” said the club’s majority shareholder David Gandler.
“We’re building a world-class, multi-sport campus that honours Leyton Orient’s heritage while creating a vibrant, affordable, technology-driven destination for our fans and our community. This will be a home that inspires not just for today, but for generations.”
Populous, whose portfolio includes Wembley Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Las Vegas Sphere, will now guide Orient through feasibility and masterplanning, shaping consultations with fans, residents and planning authorities.
“We are honoured to partner with Leyton Orient at such a defining moment in their journey,” said Declan Sharkey, Senior Principal and Global Director at Populous.
“Our vision is to design a unique stadium and mixed-use development that celebrates the club’s heritage while embracing the future… Together, we will create a new landmark for East London and beyond.”
It likely won’t take long for Orient and Populous’s early designs to spill into the public eye. For a club that has watched others benefit from the regeneration in their own postcode, the project is more than infrastructure – it is a belated opportunity to control their destiny in East London once again.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1764676067labto1764676067ofdlr1764676067owedi1764676067sni@g1764676067niwe.1764676067yrrah1764676067
Source link
Add Comment