Swansea City supporters have had their first proper look at the fan zone planned behind the South Stand, in new images included in the club’s planning application.
An artist’s impression shows fans in club shirts gathered outside a long grey building decked out with the Swans crest and player graphics, with the stadium’s white steel frame alongside.
The images are in a design statement by AFL Architects, submitted to Swansea Council with the full application lodged on Tuesday.
Room for 1,000 fans, a stage and a big screen
The design statement says the fan zone will hold about 1,000 supporters, with food and drink kiosks, a covered stage and a mobile big screen.
It will be split into family and adult areas, with alcohol served in the adult zone only.
A coffee servery facing the path will keep serving passers-by even when the fan zone itself is closed.
On matchdays it would open three hours before kick-off and close one to two hours after it, according to the statement.
On other days the club envisages supporter events, performances, student events, food and drink events, festive markets and craft fairs.
A five-year building and a permanent Changing Places toilet
The main building is a steel frame with a fabric roof, about 40 metres long and clad in grey metal to match the South Stand. The statement says it will run on a five-year temporary basis.
That is a different design from the one first shown in April, which had a mezzanine gallery with self-pour beer taps and room for more than 1,700.
Alongside it will be a permanent toilet block, with a Changing Places room offering extra space and specialist equipment for disabled people who need help from a carer.
The architects say the block will also serve the South Stand concourse on matchdays and take pressure off the stadium’s existing toilets.
Murals by local artists planned for the walls
Sections of the fan zone and toilet block walls, including the side facing the public path, have been set aside for murals by local artists, subject to the final artwork being agreed.
The design statement says the artwork could reflect the club’s identity and its relationship with the community, and includes four examples with a Swansea City theme.
Nine new trees and changes to the memorial garden
Three trees next to the public path will come down for construction. Nine new ones will be planted on the rough ground beside Brunel Way, a net gain of six, according to the architects.
When the application went in, the club said the memorial garden’s footprint would change but the garden would stay where it is. The design statement says part of its brick wall and fencing will be removed so the garden can be reduced and reconfigured.
The club has asked anyone with questions about the garden to email support@swanseacity.com.
Security blocks that double as seating
South Wales Police asked for barriers against vehicles when planners responded to the club’s early plans in May. Heavy modular blocks at the busy south-west corner will double as seating, alongside a 2.4m fence and CCTV.
Fans arriving on foot or by bike will use the existing walking and cycling path past the fan zone, which links to the footbridge over the Tawe.
The scheme would take out 46 car parking spaces, 34 of them used by players on matchdays. The club says it will manage that with fewer parking permits or by bringing players in by coach.
A December opening target
The club has said it wants the fan zone open in December, though it is prepared to follow “alternative timelines as required”.
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