Tottenham Hotspur releases first detailed look at new stadium exterior, and it's gorgeous

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.'s proposed new stadium has taken another step towards becoming a reality. In the club's planning application to the Haringey Council, information and images have been disclosed about the grounds new external appearance.

The thesis of the exterior layout seems to be an all-important play at enabling as much natural light to flow through the stadium as possible.  While curtain walling, aluminum cladding, and perforated panels comprise the makeup of the outside walls, it is the single glazed facade feature which showcases the stadium's sleek, futuristic feel.

"This element is a critical part of the design philosophy of developing a 17,000 capacity single tier south stand as the ‘heart-beat' of the stadium, sitting behind the glazed façade. The use of a transparent material enables spectators to get a sense of the scale of this stand as they approach it from the south podium, as well as drawing natural daylight into the spaces within it. This includes providing natural daylight to the open food court at the bottom of the stand and to the concourses spaces above."

Information was also released about the particulars of each of the grounds' two facades. Below is a short description about each of their specific characteristics. If one wants to dive deeper into this Tottenham's official application, there is an abundance of information publicly available at the Haringey Council website.

The West Facade: Running along High Road, the West Facade is where the bustle of the street meets the manic of a match-day. Comprised mostly of cool metal and glass, this is a section of the stadium where translucent views, both from inside and outside of the stadium, rule the day. The end of the West Facade leads directly into the much hyped "single tier stand". Transparent by nature, spectators can see the ferocity of what they are getting into from afar.

The East Facade: A stark contrast from the West Facade, the East Facade takes into account the residential character of Worcester Avenue. Designed like a widow's peak, the perforated screens that cover the eastern side of the stadium allow more privacy for the locals, and a less intrusive experience for supporters. The Skylounge and the double height banqueting and conference suite entrance are located on this side of the stadium.

If the prospective of the layout of the NDP turns out to be true, every angle of the stadium is contrastive. As spectators walk along the outskirts of the grounds, their eyes will never see the same image twice. This combination of size, translucency, and vision should make Tottenham's new grounds distinct in the match-day experience it offers while placing the venue in the vanguard of the world's most ambitious sporting grounds.

It's not just the exterior that looks pretty, either. Care was taken to ensure that fans attending football matches in the new stadium can get close to the action, with no more than 8 meters of space between the touchline of the pitch and the first row of the stands.

The pitch perimeter is minimised to aid spectator proximity to the pitch. On this basis it does not conform to [FIFA guidelines] with states 10m behind the goals and 8.5m at the sides of the pitch. It must be remembered that the dimensions set out... are only recommendations and are primarily set for stadiums to be used in FIFA World Cup TM competitions. This does not however preclude the use of stadiums in FIFA World Cup TM competitions that do not meet these dimensions.

This was undoubtedly a point of emphasis in stadium planning: White Hart Lane is well known for putting supporters close to the action, and stadiums with running tracks such as the Olympic Stadium have been criticized by fans for having the pitch too far away to comfortably view the action.

Not only will fans have an excellent view of the pitch, but there will be a lot more of them. The 65,000 seat stadium includes the aforementioned 17,109-seat "kop" style stand, designed to be the largest such single-tier stand in England and one that will create an impressive "wall" of Tottenham supporters for home matches.

Dortmund's Westenfalenstadion may fit more fans into their single tier stand – they allow for standing and can cram 25k standing supporters in their "yellow wall" – but in the (current) absence of safe standing in England, this tier will still provide an imposing presence for opposition supporters, and will be a feature unique to the whole of England. The design makes accommodations for safe standing in the lower sections of the stand in the event that legislation is passed in the future that allows for such.

The stadium isn't just for fans, either. The new building will be jam-full of additional features including restaurants and clubs, banquet facilities, top notch media facilities, state of the art facilities for medical, police, fire, and grounds staff, as well as NFL (and other sport-specific) changing and training areas. And this is not even going into the additional buildings and surrounding area around the new stadium, all part of the overall scheme to revitalize Tottenham and the North London area. The scope of the project is stunning. The reality is likely to be even more so.

There are literally hundreds of publicly accessible PDFs on the Haringey Council website that include all the pictures shown here as well as detailed technical drawings, blueprints, safety regulations, etc. There are numerous features that we haven't even begun to touch on but will enhance the visiting fan experience. It's a gold-mine of information, and anyone can view it.

By the looks of these plans and drawings, Tottenham Hotspur are nearly certain to have the best stadium in England by the time it opens in 2018. That's only three years away. It's time to get excited.