The £25 million redevelopment at the Vauxhall End of the Brit Oval is being constructed by Taylor Woodrow, and this week saw the completion of the main structure of the building – marked with a “topping out” ceremony on Tuesday to ward off evil spirits and ensure prosperity and good luck.
The new three-storey stand, incorporating state-of-the-art conferencing and banqueting facilities, is due to open in July 2005. It includes a community sports hall and education centre and an innovative ‘living screen’ will wrap around the rear of the stand to provide a changing seasonal display.
The new structure incorporates the OCS Stand, in a sponsorship deal with the property services company, OCS, worth £750,000 over five years.
Mark Butcher, captain of Surrey County Cricket Club, said: "The Brit Oval has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, the OCS Stand and redeveloped Vauxhall End are very impressive. I have played in front of capacity crowds here, but believe that the extra 4,000 seats will create an atmosphere to rival anywhere in the world."
The project increases the Brit Oval capacity to 23,000.
