Latest news with #NigelYoung
Japan Today
08-08-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Man United unveils state-of-the-art training base it hopes will return it to soccer's elite
In this undated photo provided by Foster + Partners, a general view of Carrington Training Centre, the training center for Manchester United, in Manchester, England. (Nigel Young/Foster + Partners via AP) soccer By JAMES ROBSON Manchester United opened its new 'world class' training complex Friday that it hopes will help return the fallen giant to the top of European soccer. A 50 million pound ($67 million) revamp of the club's Carrington training base has been completed in time for the start of the new Premier League season as the storied club aims to bounce back from its worst campaign in the modern era. 'The big thing that I like the most is now there's going to be no excuses,' defender Diogo Dalot said. United has gone 12 years since last winning the Premier League title in 2013 and last season recorded its lowest finish when placing 15th. It also suffered a club record 18 losses in the Premier League and amassed its lowest points total, 42, as it failed to qualify for any European competition. 'It's what we're going to do on the pitch that obviously will determine what we do and where we put the club back on top,' Dalot said. But he added that the new training center meant players had 'everything that you need to be on your best shape mentally and physically.' State-of-the-art performance and rehabilitation equipment has been installed, including altitude training facilities. Sleeping pods, oxygen chambers and cryotherapy treatment facilities are to be added imminently. The project was funded by minority owner Jim Ratcliffe as part of the British billionaire's $1.3 billion investment in the storied club last year. 'I hope it helps take Manchester United where Manchester United needs to go,' he said. Ratcliffe, who has also outlined plans to rebuild the club's iconic Old Trafford stadium, said he had quickly made a decision to "invest significantly in the creation of a world class performance environment for staff and players to reflect our ambition and vision for Manchester United.' 'The club has to compete at the highest level. That's appropriate to the brand and the size and the history of the club,' he said. 'So whilst a world class training facility won't take us to that place alone, it is one of the key ingredients in the modern world.' As well as performance equipment, the redesign of the campus, led by architect Foster + Partners, includes facilities like a barber shop, a Formula 1 simulator and pool table, with a padel court due to be installed at the request of players. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
CairoScene
08-05-2025
- Business
- CairoScene
Foster + Partners Sculpts a Spatial Poem for Saudi at Expo 2025 Osaka
Foster + Partners Sculpts a Spatial Poem for Saudi at Expo 2025 Osaka In the ephemeral world of international expos, where architecture often flickers like a passing spectacle, Saudi Arabia's pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka dares to dream of permanence. Designed by Foster + Partners, the structure is not merely a display, it is a sculpted experience, a living fragment of the future intended to outlast the fleeting weeks of the exposition itself. At first glance, its quiet simplicity may seem enigmatic. One might ask: what ties this minimalistic gesture to the Kingdom? To Japan? But it is precisely in this tension—between presence and suggestion—that the pavilion finds its voice Its broken grid is not a rupture but a release, a symbolic guideline to the formation of the labyrinthine alleys, tranquil courtyards, and atmospheric walkways that resonates with the intimate scale and spatial tempo of vernacular Saudi villages. The pavilion's porous geometry and volumetric proportions are neither arbitrary nor ornamental. Sculpted by Foster + Partners, the form draws from the sinuous contours of historic Saudi settlements, while being precisely calibrated using computational fluid dynamics to passively regulate airflow and adapt to Osaka's climate. It is a deliberate synthesis of memory and environmental responsiveness—a dialogue between tradition and context. The pavilion not only targets net-zero operational carbon but also aspires to achieve the highest rating in Japan's CASBEE environmental assessment, reinforcing its role as a forward-looking architectural statement grounded in performance and place. This commitment to environmental responsiveness extends beyond form. Sustainability here is a tangible framework, manifested through passive cooling, context-driven strategies and smart material choices. The façade, crafted from an innovative Saudi stone composite, is both lightweight and easily demountable, reflecting a conscious approach to lifecycle and adaptability. Dissolving the boundary between spectacle and space for dwelling, the pavilion unfolds like a narrative where every element of the design is a quiet metaphor, translating ideology into architecture, and concept into craft. In its poetic restraint, the pavilion becomes more than a national statement—it becomes an architectural meditation on time, terrain, and transience. Photography Credit: Nigel Young and Foster + Partners
