Populous wins planning for new Casement Park stadium in Belfast

Located on a 12 acre site on the Andersonstown Road in the west of Belfast, Casement Park is one of the largest stadia in Ulster (at 32,500 seat capacity), hosting football and hurling matches. The stadium will be redeveloped into a 38,000 all-seated venue, which will become the largest stadium in Ulster and a regional flagship for Ulster GAA.

The architectural concept is built up from three elements. The plinth responds to the scale of the adjacent residential and retail buildings. The “cloud”, which is proposed to be constructed of translucent material, responds to the site restrictions by stepping the mass of the building away from adjacent buildings, while reflecting the stadium’s surroundings when it is not in use. The truss supports the stadium’s roof while providing a landmark on the Belfast skyline.

Casement Park will be the largest stadium in Ulster, a regional flagship for the Ulster Gaelic Athletic Association and will host Gaelic football and hurling matches. The scheme will increase the venue’s capacity from 32,500 to 38,000 and include 2,000 corporate seats in an attempt to attract more major fixtures. It will also add 2,000sq m of community facilities on the 5ha site. The redeveloped Casement Park stadium is expected to open in late 2016. It is planned for the stadium to host the 2016 Ulster GAA Senior Championship Finals.