Emirates Stadium is nearly ready for its much-anticipated makeover after the club unveiled seven designs that will replace the “Heroes Together” mural that has been in place for the last 12 years. An eighth design, a mammoth montage of supporters from across the decades, remains a work in progress but should be completed in the coming weeks.
The club have been working on the new artwork since April 2022 with a third-party agency hired to work alongside Turner prize winner Jeremy Deller, critically acclaimed artist Reuben Dangoor, and distinguished graphic designer David Rudnick.
Throughout the process, a supporter consultation group, aided by club staff, has provided input and feedback.
In the club’s own words, “We started with a blank piece of paper and the sole intention of working with our community to create art that would express what Arsenal means in 2023 and beyond.”
With 136 years of club history to draw upon, it’s fair to say the project grew bigger than anyone initially anticipated, so credit to everyone involved for getting it over the line.
Each of the eight designs has a different theme and careful consideration has been paid to where they will feature on the stadium’s exterior.
They include a homage to Highbury’s Art Deco East Stand, a patchwork of fan group banners that nods to the club’s worldwide appeal, a ‘welcome’ message for away fans arriving by train into King’s Cross station, and neoclassical style depictions of memorable teams and club legends, both male and female, that wouldn’t look out of place in the Louvre.
In total, there are 87 legends featured (including all 32 of the legends included in the previous artwork), while 150 supporter groups and 721 supporters are also represented. While some fan favourites from years gone by haven’t made the cut the inclusion of 50 ‘if you know, you know’ details underlines just how much thought and consideration has gone into the project. No stone has been left unturned in bringing to life the essence of The Arsenal.
Reflecting on the project, Arsenal CEO, Vinai Venkatesham said: “This has been a fantastic project enabled by so many of the Arsenal family here in Islington and across the world. We genuinely couldn’t have brought this project to life without everyone working together and giving their passion and dedication to this work.
“I express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been involved and made this unique piece of work possible.
“The project has brought together our supporters, community, legends and staff as one. It’s a real celebration of the Arsenal community, designed for and by the Arsenal family.”
Arsenal had originally planned for the new designs to be installed during the World Cup hiatus but final tinkering meant things were delayed. As such the Emirates has been left bare for a month after the existing murals were removed. Installation of the new designs begins tomorrow, 12 January, and will continue for a few weeks.
If you can’t wait to get up close and personal with the artwork, you can visit a special exhibition at Candid Arts Trust, 3-5 Torrens Street, London, EC1V 1NQ until 4pm on Saturday.
The club continue to invest funds in other stadium improvements. Having replaced the ticket gate machines and the big screens, repairs on the roof – a significant undertaking – are ongoing. We’re also expecting a statue of a certain legendary manager to be unveiled at some point.
New Arsenal stadium artwork
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To read more about the project and to watch a film charting the process behind the scenes, click here.
I can’t wait to see this in person in a few weeks ❤️
I belong to an Arsenal Fan in my country, nevr been so happy to see the south African flag in there. Thank you The Arsenal FC.
Cool, I like this!
Very nice, but they have 2 number 11 on the last one :-O
We have had more than one player wear the number 11 in our history
Classy stuff; I love it.
Pure Arsenal.
Loving how much that ‘North London’ bit is going to piss off that lot up the road.
Well done to the club and everyone involved. 👏
Wow, these are incredible. Great job by all involved, and shows the attention to detail and class of the club in supporting the fans’ visions of what Arsenal means to the whole community. Particularly love the Invincible and Future Brilliance pieces!!
Very impressive. The Victoria Concordia Crescit and East Stand are my two favorites.
The East stand really is such a beautiful bit of architecture. Makes perfect sense for it to be featured.
Brilliant, inspiring stuff! Love it!
This club is rocking again!
Very, very well done. I’m impressed.
Epic.
“Come to see the Arsenal” and “1886” look like giant banners. Dumb question – are they actually giant banners or will it simply be painted to look like that?
Looks great!
Love the “battlefield” idea, but NOT a fan of the painted look.
Players look like rigid figurines. Feels like they just photoshopped a bunch of players into position and added a paint filter.
I wish they went with a simpler/cleaner design. Maybe even w/actual photographs.
IMHO
yeah i don’t want to be a downer but the battlefield ones are really weird to me! i think the figures are cool but the red sky and dark green are such an odd pick, don’t see how it fits a modern stadium
I really like the conce0ts captured in the artwork but the art style isn’t really to my taste. Will have to see what it’s like in person though!
I’m willing to be corrected by anyone who knows better than I do but I think they are in an art-deco style which is in line with our coat of arms and Highbury.
Well said.
Definitely Art Deco elements in there to correspond with Highbury but to my eyes, there is also both a retro 60’s Alan Aldridge influence in there and some Andy Warhol Pop Art, which is great, timeless and in many ways very now, very contemporary.
I love these designs, they’re superb.
Not sure I would call the style art deco. It’s more a style created by the artist isn’t it? I like it though, reminds me a bit of that Peter Jackson war movie. Also happy to be corrected though!
Well, the article literally says the style is “art-deco” in keeping with the early years of Highbury. Also, “neoclassical.” I know nothing about art history, but a quick Google look will confirm both styles are in play here, with the artist’s own touch, too, of course!
oh wow! looks amazing! the Highbury one was long overdue. and nitpicking, that O2 missing logo is a bit odd 🙂
But great work by the club and I really hope to catch it in person one day. the support group from my own small state of Kerala is there too. so so nice!!
Love it.
Would have rated it even more if they’d gone with #announceMudryk on one section though.
I will appreciate these things even more in the knowledge that the next stadium refresh might feature hashtags
The Highbury one is so so good!
Some very well-thought out concepts and good to see Arsenal Women repped as well
Who down votes this?! Totally agree with u Kaius.
I see a spot on the east stand for a few incoming league winners….
Fantastic I wonder if we could purchase prints of these amazing artworks .
Great to see Rocky and the King of Highbury and Willow and Frankie M
That’s a great idea. I’d love to get a nice print of the supporters’ scarves/banners for the office. And the East Stand one, too. I’ve crossed the Pond to see our gang at the Emirates, but never got to Highbury, alas.
I’ve no doubt they will be available to buy at some point.
Great marketing idea.
If the club haven’t thought of this already, they should have, if you get my drift.
Great call! 😊👍
i’ll wait to see them on the stadium before making a final judgment as some of these things are best viewed in scale and in position, but this looks… less than what i expected
I hope to see it someday!
Unbelievable. Love it.
But is it just me, all I can hear is the PlayStation 2 start up music at the start of the video!! Anyone else? 🤣
The level of recognition and appreciation – both of our enduring values and of the individuals who make this club great – has literally brought a tear to my eyes. ❤️
(On a personal level – chuffed that Arsenal Yorkshire get a mention.)
Some of the these remind me of communist propaganda imagery from GCSE History…
Haha…
Gunnersaurus for President! 🙂
Such class. Kudos to everyone involved!
Maybe bit of an unpopular opinion, but Kroenkes seem to be getting their act together. I still can’t fully warm up to them, but over the past few years, they have put right people in key roles and Arsenal as an organization seem to moving in the right direction.
No I agree, the table don’t lie! Credit where credit is due, the Kroenke’s deserve some recognition for what’s happening right now.
I somewhat get their lack of investment when there was a big chunk of the club owned by another investor. Perhaps the full takeover is what was required for them to get more involved, as they would not be increasing the share price of another person with their own money. To be fair, I probably would not have done that either.
It’s fuckin’ excellent
Straw poll, what’s your favourite?
Me Highbury
Highbury
100% – Highbury was so beautiful. Wish we were still there tbh. Such a classy stadium. But time moves on init
Highbury
Me Highbury
The best bit about the Highbury artwork is that, unlike the others, there won’t be a massive Arsenal crest or Emirates logo over the top. It’ll be displayed as it is.
Now you mention this there is a suitable gap in the middle of all the others, which makes a lot of sense.
Me too. I might be one of the strange exceptions in that I’ve never been to the Grove (having left the UK the year it was completed), but visited Highbury many times. Saw Bergkamp’s and Vieira’s first goals from more or less the same place on the North Bank. That stadium has such a special place in my heart, just that image gives me butterflies in the stomach. Great job everyone involved in this.
Wow. Super impressed. Really classy. Absolutely love them all. Let’s hope they look as as good and vibrant when on the stadium, and somehow prevent them from fading? Don’t know if that is possible or not. Surely new materials and technology could be used to extend the life of these ones.
Looks classy tbf
Looks fantastic!
Very well done! Can’t wait for the unveiling 👏
Is there an Arsenal Poland flag in the ‘We all follow the Arsenal’ ? Couldn’t see one….
Go to the very top right corner. Second one from the right is the emblem of the Arsenal Poland Supporters Club. White background, red circle, gold cannon.
Wow. Such a laudable project👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Blogs to feature on the fans art? Also I’m assuming the fan I always call pirate guy will be on there too. Seems to regularly get captured by the cameras when we score.
Like them all except the 3 red sky ones which look like it was the night before the deadline and the designer still had 3 murals get through. Look at the invincibles one – 90% red sky and some photoshopped players hoiking a big trophy with ropes. Thats crap!
Love the Highbury one. Good idea to have the welcome to Arsenal one aimed at the train line.
Thats my tuppence worth
This is superb!! Well done all!
Looks impressive and colourful. Will help spruce the stadium up.
Just noticed the hyper-stylised version of the pride flag. Is that the normal Gay Gooners logo? Must be a first for a stadium exterior in any case
Class. Pure class.
I’m trying to see if the Icelandic fan club is amongst the flags…
All the images are so out of focus..
We have been active since 12th of October 1982.. ( I’m born on the 12th of November just a month later 😎
Top middle, just below Arsenal Maldives.
All I can say the art work is gonna be brilliant