Enhancing an icon - Populous’ fan-focused designs for Kolkata’s famed Eden Gardens will create new history

Ahead of this weekend’s Indian Premier League (IPL) match between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Rajasthan Royals, fans have been given a look into Eden Gardens’ future, which includes a new Sky Deck, premium seating and increased corporate hospitality areas with new corporate boxes and lounges.

Built in 1864, and known as the “Home of Indian cricket”, Kolkata’s Eden Gardens is the third largest cricket stadium in the world and one of India’s most important venues representing more than 160 years of cricketing history.

Populous Principal & Architect Siddharth Soni said a new chapter in Eden Gardens’ history was being drawn, which will see the venue’s capacity increase from 68,000 seats to 85,000 seats with more modern spectator amenities.

President of the Cricket Association of Bengal and former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly said “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.”

Along with the MCG in Australia, Eden Gardens is cricket’s answer to the Coliseum. It first hosted a Test match in 1934 and since then has become something of a place of pilgrimage for most international cricketers.

The upgraded venue will include 41,000 square feet of exclusive hospitality zones, 44,000 square feet of non-match day facilities, six different seating categories for fans to choose from and 30% more corporate hospitality seats.

This includes a new Sky Deck and Sky Lounge that will offer views of the park and river and will be a feature for social gatherings during both match and non-match days. There will also be dedicated IPL Fan zones and Lounges and a Member’s Club will be introduced that opens the venue into the surrounding gardens. Curated fan experiences such as a museum, hall of fame and digital engagement zones celebrate the heritage of Eden Gardens while making it future ready for new experiences of the game.

Populous brings our expertise of design for some of the world’s leading cricket stadiums – such as Narendra Modi Stadium, The Warner Stand at Lord’s and significant elements of the Melbourne Cricket Ground – to the project.

Populous Associate Principal, Pranav Kashyap said there were many challenges the design team faced, including working within a very tight historical inner-city site limiting the venue’s physical expansion potential, and ensuring that the redevelopment would respect the legacy of the building and integrate with the existing context.

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