Swiss practice set to take its third major UK commission redeveloping the ‘home of cricket’Herzog& de Meuron has been tipped to oversee the £200 millionredevelopment of the world’s most famous cricket ground as part of agrowing foothold for the Swiss practice in Britain.Just fivemonths after the firm closed its only UK office in Clerkenwell, Herzog& de Meuron has edged ahead of David Chipperfield in a competitionto masterplan the revamping of Lord’s Cricket Ground. BDP, Dixon Jonesand Hopkins Architects were also shortlisted.Subject toratification by client the MCC on Friday, the result would constitute aspectacular hat-trick of British wins for the Basel-based practicefollowing the £215 million Tate Modern extension and the £600 millionstadium and waterfront development in Portsmouth.Lord’s — theself-styled “home of cricket” — moved to St John’s Wood in London in1814 and already boasts the 1980s Mound Stand by Hopkins and pod-likemedia centre by Future Systems.Jurors involved in theArchitecture Foundation-organised contest, who included Tate directorNicholas Serota and ODA design champion Ricky Burdett, are said to havebeen impressed by the firm’s detailed response to the brief, whichinvolves increasing seating capacity by up to 12,000, to around 40,000,and adding a range of “world-class” facilities which could include anindoor cricket academy, a hotel and retractable floodlights.Allfive firms are understood to have proposed luxury villas along theWellington Road boundary to help fund the development and open up thesite, currently enclosed by a high wall.Onealso proposed ditching the Stirling Prize-winning media centre — whichjournalists complain gets too hot and is like watching cricket on TV —an option that may still be on the table. “I was surprisedbecause I thought they would all want to move {the pod},” chairman ofthe jury and former government planning adviser John Egan said. Egan also praised the “extraordinarily good” designs put forward by the architects involved.Launchingits plans last September, the MCC said it wanted an architect who coulddemonstrate an appreciation of the heritage of Lord’s and a “properunderstanding of its worldwide reputation.The MCC will use the redevelopment to help a series of “aggressive” bids for major tournaments.Aspokesman for the MCC admitted a “preferred” architect had beenselected but added: “The MCC committee wants to own and make thisdecision. It’s a delicate situation.”The MCC hopes to start on site in two years’ time, subject to approval from the mayor of London and Westminster City Council.
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