- Home of Kolkata Knight Riders
- An extra 17,000 seats
- A museum and new hospitality space added as well
The London-based architects, Populous, have unveiled proposals to expand the historic Eden Gardens cricket ground in Kolkata.
Built in 1864, Eden Gardens is often described as the home of Indian cricket, and one of India’s most culturally important venues.
It was the first stadium built in India purposely built for cricket. It has hosted 15 World Cup matches, including seven in the last T20 World Cup. England played all their group games there in the T20 World Cup earlier this year.
As announced by Tom Lowe of Building Design, Populous is working on upgrades which will boost its capacity from 68,000 to 85,000 and provide a greater range of seating options.
The scheme will also add a museum and 41,000 sqft of new hospitality space, including a new Sky Deck and Lounge offering views of the nearby park and river. It will also add dedicated IPL fan zones and lounges, and a member’s club which opens the venue into the surrounding gardens.
“Enhancing an icon”
Populous principal and architect Siddarth Soni said:
“For it to continue its legacy and look to the future, particularly for evolving formats of cricket, we are not just restoring Eden Gardens; we are enhancing an icon.”
President of the Cricket Association of Bengal and former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly added:
“Our vision is to make Eden Gardens one of the finest cricketing venues in the world, not just in capacity but in quality, comfort and experience.
“I’ve grown up playing here, feeling the roar of this crowd. To now be part of its transformation is deeply special – it’s about giving back to a place that has given me everything.”
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