July 03, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 28, 1429

LONDON, July 2: The architects behind Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’ Olympic Stadium were awarded another high-profile sports commission on Wednesday when they were given the job of designing the redevelopment of Lord’s.

Herzog and de Meuron have been selected by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the owners of Lord’s, to design the ‘Masterplan’ for the north-west London ground.

The plan is expected to cost between 200 to 250 million pounds (400-500 million dollars) to implement.

Key aims include increasing the capacity of Lord’s to between 35,000 to 40,000 from its current 28,500 and the installation of permanent but retractable floodlights which would enable the ground to stage day-night international matches.A spokesman for the scheme said on Wednesday that, once detailed talks between MCC and the architects had been concluded, an application for planning permission to the local Westminster Council would be submitted in the autumn of 2009.

Carrying out the Masterplan could see the tunnels under Lord’s used to house indoor net facilities while residential development at the Wellington Road ends of the ground could provide funds for improvements elsewhere on the site. It also includes the option of a ‘Lord’s Hotel’.

Recent years have seen some striking developments at Lord’s, notably the new high-tech media centre which now dominates the Nursery End of the ground.

Basel-based Herzog and de Meuron were also responsible for designing the Allianz Arena, home of German football giants Bayern Munich.—AFP