The stadium for Forest Green Rovers Football Club is a new development near Stroud, Gloucestershire.
The structure has been developed using a thoroughly integrated approach, combining the environmental objectives of the project, the functions of the stadium and structural efficiency into a uniquely elegant architectural form. This led to a structural design solution based around mass timber, the only major renewable construction material.
Glued laminated timber (glulam) and cross laminated timber (CLT) panels are used for all parts of the structure, from the roof cantilevers, columns, beams, rakers and backstay to the grandstand terraces. The roof is covered with a state-of-the-art membrane (transparent fluoropolymer film with a mesh of black yarns as reinforcement) that combines strength with transparency, allowing it to span the full grid spacing without additional substructure. The façade is mainly open timber slats with glazing.
The structural depth of the triangular trusses increases as the cantilever length increases. This allows the stresses in the roof elements and their cross-section dimensions to remain similar. The height of the roof columns follows the height of the back of the bowl, giving the stadium a flowing shape.
In the first phase of development, the stadium will provide seating for 5,000 fans, with plans to expand to 10,000 seats in the future. If safe standing areas are introduced, the capacity could increase to 12,000. A concert mode is also planned for up to 16,000 spectators.
