Newcastle's plans for 'bubble-wrap stadium' revealed! New 70,000-seat arena with unique wrapping could replace iconic St James' Park

The Premier League giants are exploring ways to get more supporters through the turnstiles on Tyneside. One of the options being considered is the expansion of St James’ Park, taking the capacity of that venue up to 60,300. The Magpies may, however, look to move home to a new site entirely.

According to the Daily Mail, industry-leading architects and construction experts have been approached. London-based KSS figure prominently on that list, alongside local planners Ryder. Drawings of what a new build ground could look like have reportedly been shown to club officials.

Some of those are said to feature the "bubble-wrap" design, which features on the Le Havre stadium in France that KSS previously worked on. They have said of that feature: "The pixelated ETFE shell cladding imitates the two core elements of sea and sky and acts as a shining beacon for the city, day and night."

KSS have also been involved in the development work undertaken by Liverpool at Anfield, training ground complexes at Leicester, Tottenham and Brighton, as well as the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar which was used during the 2022 World Cup.

The Mail claims that "a formal announcement regarding the direction the club will take could yet be delayed until closer to the end of the season". That is because staying at St James’ is not being ruled out, with the potential there to fit another 8,000 seats into a redeveloped Gallowgate End while making only minor alterations to the look of an iconic venue in the North East of England.