South London ground to become largest cricket stadium in western hemisphere

Work has begun on Rolfe Judd’s £26m redevelopment at the Oval now that the cricket season – and the last Ashes Test – is over.

The scheme at the south London home of Surrey County Cricket Club involves demolishing the existing Lock Laker Stand and another single-storey building, before building a three-storey spectator stand.

The new scheme, One Oval Square, will feature two new roof terraces floating over the existing Peter May Stand, which the architect also designed, increasing the capacity of the ground by 2,303 seats to 28,000.

A linked four-storey building will contain the covered concourse on the ground floor, as well as a reception, shop and ticket office.

There will also be a new brick tower on the site, with the planning application submitted to Lambeth council by Rolfe Judd citing Herzog & de Meuron’s Tate Modern extension in neighbouring Southwark as a precedent for the lattice brick façade.

The new development will also contain hospitality space including a room capable of holding 900 people as well as bars and a restaurant.

Construction is expected to finish by April 2021.

The project is part of a wider £50m redevelopment masterplanned in-house by Surrey Cricket Club which will see the Oval transformed into the largest cricket stadium in the western hemisphere, with a capacity of 40,000.