Work starts on Main Pavilion of Hampshire's new ground

Hampshire County Cricket Club today (Thursday 16th March) celebrated the start of work on the Main Pavilion, Cricket Academy and connecting Atrium that will form the feature building at the Club's new ground in West End, Southampton.

Club captain and vice captain, Robin Smith and Shaun Udal, watched by Giles White and Will Kendall, paved the way for future generations as they ceremonially dug the foundations for the new buildings.

Overall, the whole of the new building will cover 4650 sq metres (46,500 sq ft) of floor area with over 70 tonnes of steel reinforcement being used in the construction. In addition, a total of 3,080 sq meters of lightweight fabric will be used to create the spectacular PVC fabric membrane roof that extends over the Main Pavilion, the Atrium and the Cricket Academy.

The Main Pavilion, which has been designed by Michael Hopkins & Partners, is a three-storey building containing hospitality suites, a Long Room/function room, with dining for 200, and seating for over 600 spectators.

The central Atrium will contain a Reception area together with a café/bar, and the Cricket Academy, a Regional Centre of Excellence, will provide six lane indoor nets and a six-a-side facility as well as squash courts, multigym and beauty suite.

The construction being undertaken is using ecologically considerate timber clad prefabricated panel walls, on a fire engineered steel frame, that will give maximum glazing to the Ground side.

The buildings are being constructed using a sophisticated combination of engineered traditional and modern materials to form a sympathetic, yet futuristic, sporting venue for the 21st century.

In addition to the work on the main buildings, precast concrete terracing is currently being installed on the berm slope. This terracing has the ability to accommodate a seating capacity of 10,000.

Elsewhere on the site, 138 holes (3m x 1.5 m x 1m) are being dug to house the 138 30ft London Plane trees that are being planted in two rings to form a boulevard around the top of the berm.

Brian Ford, Hampshire County Cricket Club's chairman, said "The start of the Main Pavilion is now another major step in the development of our exciting sporting village. Hopefully, we are now on the home straight and we are looking forward to seeing this fantastic building take shape. I am certain that the finished product will be something of which we will all be extremely proud."