Oxford United Football Club Plans All-Electric Stadium

Oxford United Football Club is planning to construct an all-electric stadium in the United Kingdom to elevate the fan experience. Designed by AFL Architects, the 16,000-seat venue will feature additional levels at the north and west stands, adjoined by a 180-bed hotel. The wider mixed-use development may also include a 1,000-seat conference center, a 7,427-sf gym, an 8,826-sf health and wellbeing zone, and a 2,152-sf sports bar. Replacing the club’s current Kassam Stadium, the £150 million ($202.4 million) structure will provide a welcoming experience for all visitors, with 130 spaces for wheelchair users, a dedicated sensory room, and a range of accessible facilities and amenities. A public plaza will integrate enhanced links to public transport and new cycle and pedestrian routes.

With photovoltaic arrays spanning 37,673 sf, the state-of-the-art project will operate entirely on renewable energy to enable a net-zero approach to sustainability. Reliance on air-source heat pumps as the primary heat source is expected to reduce emissions by 80 percent annually as compared to traditional gas boilers. Modern building fabric elements and heat recovery solutions will maximise thermal efficiency. Advanced drainage systems, rainwater storage, and recycling strategies will promote water conservation. Lean structural frames and a timber roof will reduce embodied carbon, and efforts to enhance biodiversity in the surrounding landscape will contribute to a significant net gain in ecological value.

Ridge and Partners is the project manager and planning consultant, and Mott MacDonald is serving as engineer. The executive landscape architect is fabrik, working in association with Aspect Arboriculture Limited. Construction is expected to begin in 2026.