Football Dynasty
Chapter 248: Second Stadium Design Proposal Submitted

Chapter 248: Second Stadium Design Proposal Submitted

Thanks to the new Triangle Shopping Centre project, Richard missed the details about Savage and Thuram’s near brawl in the bathroom. Fortunately, nothing happened afterward, and the situation was brought under control almost immediately.

The next day, when he arrived at Maine Road, the first thing he wanted to do—of course—was focus on the upcoming Manchester derby. He was ready to meet with Robertson to discuss Manchester United, but suddenly there was a knock on his office door, causing him to pause.

Miss Heysen slowly opened the door. The moment she noticed Richard’s eyes on her, she didn’t hesitate—she brought up the issue she had come to discuss.

"As per your request, GMP Architekten has already submitted their 3D design for your review. Please take a look."

Richard’s eyes lit up. Finally—the final stadium design was here!

"However!"

Miss Heysen’s voice cut through the moment just as Richard was about to open the envelope. His hand froze mid-air, hovering over the sleek folder that contained the long-awaited 3D stadium design.

"There’s a note from GMP Architekten attached. They’ve made some last-minute revisions based on the new city zoning feedback. They want you to review those changes before anything goes forward. And also..."

Richard nodded as he understood the first part, but hearing the second made his brows narrow slightly. "What is it?"

"Since you rejected the first design submitted by the Arup Group," Miss Heysen began, "they’ve now sent a revised version they believe is more evolutionary. You’ll probably want to take a look. Not only that—HKS Architects and JSK Architekci have also submitted their second-round designs for your review."

Richard blinked, clearly confused. "Didn’t I only approve GMP Architekten’s design for further development?"

Miss Heysen gave a small nod. "That’s true—but after word got out that you plan to build a billion-pound stadium, naturally, the others didn’t want to be left out. They’re hoping you’ll reconsider."

She paused briefly before sharing what was really on her mind.

"To be honest, there are more than thirty new proposals that have been submitted," she said. "But when I looked at this one, I was genuinely impressed. I was honestly stunned by the design. That’s why I thought you might want to take a look."

She then gave a small shrug. "But if you decide to reject it, that’s fine too. Nothing to worry about."

So it was Miss Heysen’s initiative. Well, Richard didn’t mind. He picked up the first envelope and carefully opened it.

Inside was the revised proposal from GMP Architekten—the firm he had initially approved to move forward. This was the one he had been waiting for. However, when Richard reviewed the second revision of the stadium design, Richard was taken aback.

"They really gave it everything," he finally managed to say.

If he had to compare it with the initial sketch he had seen, the difference was night and day. The first version had felt alien—ambitious, but disconnected. But this one... it was truly otherworldly and absurd!

Because...

"Do they really need over 9,500 LED lights installed across the exterior façade?"

Richard was speechless.

In the cost estimation—used to forecast the total cost of the construction project, including design, materials, labor, and other elements—it was stated that GMP required £25–30 million for the LED lighting alone.

"For that, I think it’s best if you turn to the next page," Miss Heysen said calmly.

Richard nodded and flipped to the next page—then stopped, his eyes widening.

"I’ve already reviewed several of the designs here," Miss Heysen continued. "And based on what I’ve seen, GMP Architekten wants this stadium to have two distinct versions—one for the day and one for the night. What you’re looking at now is the night version, which they included in their proposal."

"..."

"It’s beautiful," Richard couldn’t help but say to himself. He was just about ready to choose the design—until he suddenly frowned.

His eyes landed on a line in the document: "The design can accommodate up to 27,000 people."

Then another note caught his attention—details about flexibility, stage configurations, and event adaptability. He leaned back slightly, brow furrowed, and looked up at Miss Heysen.

"This stadium," he began slowly, "don’t you think it feels more like a multi-purpose arena... rather than a large-scale venue for football?"

"That’s what I wanted to tell you," Miss Heysen stated. "The design is compact and enclosed. It looks like they’ve put a strong focus on the stage and central floor space, rather than on tiered stadium seating."

Richard rubbed his chin for a moment. "Let’s move on to the second design," he decided, choosing to set the first one aside for now.

The second design was created by HKS Architects.

"When designing this stadium, HKS combined sports venues with other forms of entertainment to broaden its social impact," Miss Heysen explained as she introduced the second design. "Their goal was to create a facility that attracts more than just football fans. They envisioned a new kind of ballpark—one that blends a stadium with elements of English tourism, food and nature."

The stadium design featured open green spaces, walking trails, and local marketplace zones just outside the concourse. A glass-paneled roof allowed natural light to flood the interior, while still offering shelter from unpredictable weather.

Around the stadium, there were areas dedicated to farm-to-table eateries, cultural exhibitions, and even small botanical gardens showcasing native English flora.

"The idea," Miss Heysen continued, "is to make the stadium an all-day, all-season space. Even when there’s no match, families, tourists, and locals can still spend time here—eating, exploring, and relaxing. The concept is to build dining, entertainment, and commercial districts around the stadium."

Richard studied the design in silence. It was certainly ambitious—but also inviting. Less fortress, more village.

"I think when we build in East Manchester, we’ll be looking for the soul of the city," Richard said thoughtfully, his fingers resting on the edge of the design portfolio.

Richard suddenly remembered. In the future, nearly every surrounding area in England had become a redevelopment zone—dominated by concrete, warehouses, and the hard geometry of industrial ambition. It was a place built for function, not for people.

The air felt dry, the ground unforgiving. Greenery was a memory, not a feature. It was clear: the land still had potential, but it had long lost touch with anything organic or inviting.

No—it needed to anchor a living ecosystem. A sports community stitched together by parks, plazas, walkways, and shared spaces. A place where someone could grab coffee on a Monday, take their kids for a stroll on a Thursday, and roar with 60,000 others on a Saturday night.

But how could they achieve all of that?

How could they make people want to go to East Manchester, rather than West Manchester, where Old Trafford stood?

How could they create something with real appeal—yet cheap, almost cost-free?

The answer wasn’t more steel or glass.

The answer was nature. Reclaimed. Reimagined. Reintroduced.

Looking at the cost estimation for the second stadium design, if GMP Architekten’s proposal had most of its additional costs concentrated on the LED lighting system—£25–30 million beyond the main stadium cost—then HKS’s design focused its major spending elsewhere.

In their proposal, the highest costs were allocated to:

Mixed-Use Commercial Areas – £80 million

Landscaping & Community Spaces – £20–30 million

Sustainability Features – £10–15 million

Transportation & Infrastructure – £15–20 million

That’s a total of up to £145 million—just for the community-focused, environmental, and infrastructure elements alone!

Richard gritted his teeth until his jaw tensed, staring at the numbers that showed just how much money he’d need to spend.

Suddenly, "phew..." he exhaled sharply, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, before finally turning his attention to the final stadium design.

If the first two are already this expensive, wouldn’t the next ones be even more costly?

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