Planning approved for Crystal Palace National Sports Centre

Gaining planning approval marks a defining moment for the future of one of Britain’s greatest sporting stages. It has been a privilege to help shape the next chapter of a place that has witnessed some of the most extraordinary moments in British sporting history, from the legendary Coe, Ovett and Cram rivalries that defined an era, to Colin Jackson’s world-class hurdling, Steve Backley’s record-breaking throws, Sally Gunnell’s triumphs, and countless performances that have inspired generations.

Great sporting venues only endure because they continue to evolve. Our approach has been to unlock the value already embedded within Crystal Palace, its character, its significance and its remarkable heritage, designing with those qualities rather than over them, while ensuring the venue is equipped to meet the needs of future generations.

This is far more than a restoration. It is the reimagining of a national sporting landmark, opening it to the wider community, revitalising a treasured public asset, and creating an environment where future champions can train, compete and inspire sporting moments of their own.

WOO is proud to be working alongside the Greater London Authority, Morgan Sindall and the wider project team to help safeguard and enhance this national venue, ensuring it continues to inspire athletes, clubs and communities for decades to come.

 

Read about it here:

https://www.thetimes.com/sport/athletics/article/crystal-palace-athletics-stadium-130m-revamp-zk65sqbjn

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz7dw43e2jqo

https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/contractors/morgan-sindall/morgan-sindall-gains-approval-for-100m-crystal-palace-sports-centre-overhaul-24-07-2026/

The Times reveals LTA’s plan to build ‘St George’s Park of tennis’

We are incredibly proud to be playing our part in helping the LTA shape the next chapter for British tennis. It is an opportunity to create a truly world-class environment that brings together player development, coaching, sports science, medicine, innovation and education within a single campus – one that can inspire generations of players to come.

Working alongside the LTA on this vision for Roehampton is an exciting opportunity to help create a national centre that supports everyone from aspiring juniors through to Grand Slam champions.

We are grateful for the trust the LTA has placed in our team here at WOO and look forward to continuing to develop a masterplan that reflects the ambition of British tennis and creates a lasting legacy for the sport.

Read the article here: https://www.thetimes.com/sport/tennis/wimbledon/article/revealed-lta-roehampton-st-georges-park-tennis-wimbledon-9cgnj3hnd?eafs_enabled=false

Philip Johnson joins WOO as a Director

WOO have appointed Philip Johnson as a Director, strengthening the practices’ position within the sports and entertainment venue market.

An architect and masterplanner with more than 25 years’ experience, Philip has led the design and delivery of some of the world’s most significant sports and entertainment projects during his time at Populous. His work includes the Riverside Stand at Fulham FC, the masterplan and Warner Stand at Lord’s Cricket Ground, Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, the redevelopment of Ascot Racecourse and the Olympic Stadium in London.

Known for combining strategic thinking with complex project delivery, Philip brings deep international experience across sport, entertainment and large-scale urban development. Philip said: “I am delighted to be joining WOO at such an exciting moment for the studio. I have long admired Kevin Owens and the team for the originality and ambition of their work, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the next phase of the company’s international growth.”

Kevin Owens responded: “We are thrilled to welcome Philip to WOO. Having known him for 20 years, I can say his track record truly speaks for itself. As we look ahead to the next chapter for the studio, having someone of his calibre, ambition and character alongside us is genuinely exciting.”

Kevin Owens’ UK-US | Olympic Journey

Some journeys begin in the most unlikely of places. Mine began growing up in Liverpool in the 1970s and 80s and led, through an extraordinary series of moments, to the Yale University School of Architecture, the Hollywood Bowl, the London 2012 Olympics, and now, full circle, back to establishing my own design studio in downtown Los Angeles.

I am incredibly proud and excited to be attending Greater Together LA as part of the GREAT Campaign’s landmark US-UK summit – it feels deeply personal.

Over 75 years ago, the Fulbright Programme invested in human potential, building understanding between two nations and inspiring generations to think beyond borders. I remain profoundly grateful to have been part of that story. Following in the tradition of British Yale architectural scholars Norman Foster and Richard Rogers, being awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study my Masters at Yale was a genuine honour – one that didn’t just help fund an education, it fundamentally changed who I am and what I believed was possible.

A leap of faith led to an incredible chapter of my career – I moved to LA and joined the Santa Monica practice, Hodgetts + Fung, who had just won the commission to reimagine the Hollywood Bowl, one of the world’s most iconic and unique cultural venues. The Hollywood Bowl nearly doubled in size, a new 124-foot shell was prefabricated off-site, craned into position overnight, while honouring the acoustics, identity and memory of a hundred-year-old icon. The project has been described as a sensitive infusion of new into old, reconceiving the arch while incorporating emerging technologies to reveal the colors, shapes, sounds, and emotions that form human existence. That same spirit of connection and collaboration has defined my work ever since.

Looking back across two decades of Olympic design – from the extraordinary summers of London 2012 through to Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024, and now our work taking shape for LA28 – what strikes me most is not the scale of the venues we have created, but the depth of thinking that has evolved with each cycle. London 2012 was a watershed moment, not just for WOO, which was born directly from the design team we assembled for the Games, but for the entire philosophy of how major events could and should be designed.

At London 2012, we knew from the outset that this would be the design challenge of our lives – seven years of effort culminating in six glorious weeks and a lifetime of memories. It becomes the backdrop for human achievement, and the stage upon which history is made. Getting that moment right is what drives everything we do at WOO.

London’s enduring contribution to the Olympic movement was its demonstration of how much can be achieved with considered, temporary design – locating beach volleyball on the historically iconic Horse Guards Parade, transforming Greenwich Park into the location for equestrian – using celebrated London landmarks as a stage upon which to celebrate both the sport and the city. These interventions challenged the accepted wisdom that a great Games required heroic, permanent structures. This shift in thinking was not simply a budget decision. It was a design philosophy and has shaped everything we have done since.

Returning now to establish a permanent, locally based WOO studio in LA, feels like the completion of something that began before I could have known it was beginning. LA28 has committed to the most radical reuse philosophy ever attempted in an Olympic context: no new permanent venues, every competition space is either existing or temporary. It is, in many ways, the logical culmination of the shift that London started in 2012.

The UK-US relationship that made my career possible is the same relationship that now underpins some of the most exciting design work of my life. This bond is not simply political or economic — it is deeply cultural and profoundly human. Our shared investment in education, creativity, design and the arts creates lasting connections, fuels innovation, and opens doors for future generations. And reconnecting with LA colleagues and friends after so many years makes this moment all the more meaningful.

We are always greater together.

“Will revival of Crystal Palace’s ‘hallowed turf’ create more athletics history?” The Guardian

WOO Architects are pleased to see the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre redevelopment featured in The Guardian as momentum builds behind the revival of one of the UK’s most iconic sporting venues.

The article highlights the £130m transformation of the historic Grade II*-listed complex, which will deliver upgraded athletics, swimming and community sports facilities while restoring the centre’s place at the heart of British sport.

Described in the article as “the spiritual home of British athletics”, the centre is set to begin a major new chapter for both elite sport and the local community.

WOO are proud to be part of the team helping shape the future of this nationally significant destination.

Read the article here: “Will revival of Crystal Palace’s ‘hallowed turf’ create more athletics history?”

Planning submitted for major transformation of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre

WOO are delighted to have submitted plans for the restoration and transformation of the iconic Grade II* listed Crystal Palace National Sports Centre (CPNSC) in London as part of the Morgan Sindall team, working in collaboration with the Greater London Authority.

The ambitious vision for the 15-hectare site sets out a comprehensive revitalisation of its landmark buildings, sporting infrastructure and parkland landscape. The proposals aim to reinstate CPNSC as a national hub for high-performance sport while creating flexible facilities accessible to the wider community.

WOO architects has been appointed as lead designer for the masterplan, including the refurbishment of the iconic 1960s National Athletics Stadium, the stage for numerous world-record-breaking moments, alongside the redevelopment of the indoor sports zone, external sports pitches and new community amenities across the site.

At the heart of the proposal is a ‘One Park’ masterplan, reconnecting the sports centre with the surrounding parkland through new public routes, entrances and sporting zones to create a single, integrated sporting landscape.

Central to this is the new ‘Stadium Loop’, a step-free route that completes the athletics stadium bowl while connecting the site’s different levels. As well as improving accessibility, the loop provides the framework for additional spectator seating, allowing Crystal Palace to once again host major events.

Kevin Owens, Founding Director WOO said: ‘’Crystal Palace holds a unique place in the nation’s sporting history, and the GLA’s ambition for its renewal is truly inspiring.

This project allows us to honour Crystal Palace’s extraordinary legacy while designing a more inclusive, sustainable, and future-proofed Centre that can serve athletes, clubs, and communities for generations.

We’re excited to reimagine the site as a vibrant, flexible canvas for sport, activity and social life – and proud to be partnering with Morgan Sindall to help deliver this transformative vision.”

Supporting a Youth-Led Vision for Crystal Palace National Sports Centre

WOO architects were delighted to take part in the Beyond The Box CIC community engagement sessions, contributing to early conversations shaping the future of the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

As part of the Future Palace Programme, the workshops brought young Londoners together with architects, designers and delivery teams to share ideas, challenge assumptions and help guide the direction of the project. This stage has been centred on listening and testing ideas, ensuring that future proposals respond to lived experience and reflect the communities who use the site.

Engaging directly with young people has been an invaluable way to push thinking forward and lay the foundations for a more inclusive, sustainable and future-ready destination. We look forward to continuing the conversation as the design work progresses and the vision for this iconic venue evolves.

Watch: Young people shaping the future of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre – Beyond The Box Short Film

Explore the project here: Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, London

WOO Wins Façade & Exterior Award at the Stadium Business Summit

We’re proud to share that WOO Architects has been recognised at the Stadium Business Summit – Design & Development Awards, winning the Façade & Exterior Award for our work on the UK Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka.

This recognition reflects the ambition of the project and the strength of collaboration behind it. Delivering a pavilion of this scale and complexity required a highly coordinated, multidisciplinary approach, and we’re grateful to have worked alongside an exceptional team throughout the process.

A huge thank you to the awards judges for this honour, and congratulations to our project partners ES Global, Momentum Engineering, and Stuart Forbes Associates. It was a fantastic evening celebrating with peers across the industry and recognising the innovation happening across the sector.

Read the article here: #TDA25: Winners unveiled at Design and Development Awards 2025

Explore the project here: UK Pavilion, Expo 2025 Osaka

Fans Return to Camp Nou as Transformation Progresses

We’re delighted to see Camp Nou welcome fans back as the stadium reopened following the completion of the latest phase of its redevelopment, marked by a memorable home victory for FC Barcelona.

Working alongside Limak Construction and the wider design, engineering and operations teams, the project has focused on carefully modernising the stadium while respecting the history and identity that make Camp Nou one of the world’s most iconic sporting venues. The reopening represents an important milestone in a wider transformation that will prepare the stadium for decades of future use, performance and fan experience.

With supporters returning to newly upgraded seating areas and an enhanced matchday atmosphere, the project continues to progress toward its next phases, which will further increase capacity and introduce major new infrastructure, including a new roof and expanded tiers.

We’re proud to be contributing, alongside Limak Group and the wider project team, to the evolution of a stadium that demonstrates how historic venues can adapt, reinvent themselves and set new standards for future generations.

Explore the project here: Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona

Read more about their first game against Athletic Club here: The Guardian: “Barcelona’s new chapter begins in familiar surroundings as life returns to Camp Nou” by Sid Lowe

WOO are delighted to be appointed as part of the Morgan Sindall team for Crystal Palace National Sports Centre

WOO architects are delighted to be part of the Morgan Sindall Group team for the redevelopment of the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre and Athletics Stadium.

Morgan Sindall, appointed by the Greater London Authority, will see the rejuvination of the Grade II-listed sports centre and breathe new life into the pools, indoor facilities, external pitches, and athletics stadium. Led by the vision of Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, the project is part of a broader commitment to delivering improved sporting facilities for the local and wider London community.

We’re proud to be working alongside Faulkner Brown, Max Fordham LLP and Alan Baxter Ltd.

Crystal Palace is an iconic venue with a rich sporting legacy and deep cultural significance, and we’re excited by the GLA’s ambition behind the project to create a truly inclusive, future-ready venue that not only celebrates elite sport, but also fosters community wellbeing and participation.

Explore the project here: Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, London