League One club Wrexham AFC has unveiled design plans to upgrade its Kop stand at the club’s STōK Cae Ras stadium

The new stand will have a capacity of 5,500, including safe standing, and is being built with the potential of increasing this number in the future – a sign of the club’s ambition for further growth. 

In terms of the design, generating an intimidating home atmosphere is a priority, with the roof optimised to amplify sound from the supporters to the pitch.

Additionally, Wrexham has paid homage to the city’s nickname “Terracottapolis” through the external brick facade and the brick colour has been chosen to represent the Ruabon red brick from the local area. 

Michael Williamson, CEO of Wrexham AFC, commented: “The new Kop Stand marks a special moment in the history of the STōK Cae Ras, allowing us to restore the traditional four-sided enclosure of the stadium, providing new and improved facilities and experiences for our fans and visitors to the stadium alike. 

“The distinctive design of the new Kop Stand embodies the history and heritage of Wrexham – rooted in the local community creating a timeless, authentic piece of civic architecture that complements other landmarks. It will provide an iconic landmark standing at the gateway to the city giving it a true sense of place.

Following construction, the stand will be compliant with UEFA Category 4 Stadium requirements, allowing the ground to host UEFA European Under-19 Championship final tournament matches in 2026 and other international matches in the future.

Williamson added that hosting international matches at Wrexham will benefit not only the club but the whole of North Wales – currently, international matches are commonly played in South Wales at Swansea’s and Cardiff’s stadiums. 

Populous, which worked on Wembley, the Tottenham Hotspur stadium and Fulham’s Craven Cottage, is the firm behind the design. Declan Sharkey, Global Director and Senior Principal at Populous, said that the company designed the new Kop Stand to be both authentic and unique.

“To do that we involved our team of audio consultants to maximise atmosphere, while the physical design of the façade at the back of the stand takes inspiration from the local brickwork and the city’s ‘Terracottapolis’ nickname, to link it to the generations of fans that have visited the ground in the past,” he added. 

“The striking form and profile of the stand facade uses Ruabon-style red brick with dynamic textures and modern interpretation. The angled planes and carved form of the brick façade echo the strata of coal and slate seams that represent the industrial heritage of the local area, with the feeling that they have emerged organically from the ground they stand on

“A contemporary approach to the brick detailing enables layers of transparency through the brickwork that dissolve the boundary between the stand and the public plaza outside. This allows visibility into and out of the stand, responding to the club’s role as an open and integral part of its local community.”

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