Chelsea fans have been given a first glimpse of their new stadium as models were unveiled inside Stamford Bridge on Monday. After a disappointing start to the season, the plans will be welcomed news to many as they prove that there are exciting times ahead for the club.
The following images from Ian Tuttle in a report from the Daily Mail show how vastly different Stamford Bridge could look in 2020:
The scale model was released as part of a second consultation with local residents and fans, showing both the interior and exterior of the stadium.
The rebuild will cost over £500 million, with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich funding the entire project himself.
AECOM have said they hope to start work on the project at the end of this season in May, but is so vast that it will see Chelsea move to a temporary home in 2017, with Wembley still the preferred choice. The Blues will be away from Stamford Bridge for three years as the site becomes inaccessible to the public, and Chelsea will aim to move back in for the beginning of the 2020/21 season.
The redevelopment will be broken down into different stages, with work to connect Fulham Broadway directly to the stadium beginning in 2016, before the main period of demolition and construction begins 12 months later. Both hotels on the Stamford Bridge site, as well as the Chelsea Village flats, will be demolished (with the flats being relocated) before The Blues move back onto the site in 2020.
