Buildings for Sport & Leisure: 2. C20 Stadiums, Simon Inglis
In person: Lecture Series Buildings for Sport & Leisure: 2. C20 Stadiums, Simon Inglis
Thursday 30 October 2025 at 6.30pm – 8pm
The Gallery, 70 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EJ
This lecture traces the evolution of the 20th Century stadium as a distinct entity, emerging from its barely remembered classical antecedents and its revival in Victorian Britain. Ibrox Park (1899) and Old Trafford (1910), both by Archibald Leitch, exemplified this rennaissance, followed by more sophisticated architectural iterations at Wembley and Wimbledon (both 1923), and Arsenal (1930s). Fed by commercial and safety imperatives in the latter half of the century, and enhanced by new technology, Huddersfield (1994) and Cardiff (1999), both by Populous, cemented the stadium's place not only in the public imagination but crucially also within the previously and largely indifferent world of architectural criticism.
Simon Inglis is an author, editor and lecturer, specialising in the history and architecture of sport and recreation. His books include Football Grounds of Britain (Harper Collins Willow, 1996) and, for English Heritage, various titles in the Played in Britain series (on London, Birmingham, Manchester and indoor swimming pools). Buildings listed as a result of his research include The Rom skatepark, a 1930s squash court in Hammersmith and the Summers Lane Finchley grandstand. Following the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, Inglis edited numerous stadium design guidelines, two editions of the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds, and is currently working on a new edition of his biography of the football ground designer Archibald Leitch.
This lecture is part of a series marking the publication of 100 Twentieth Century Sports and Leisure Buildings (Twentieth Century Society/Batsford, 2025).
If you can't make it in person, there's an online version of the event too.
C20 Society Member £11;
Non-Member £16;
Young C20 member + guest Free*;
Student + guest £5 **
Includes a glass of wine
*For Young C20 members, please email lukas@c20society.org.uk to secure a place.
**For student pricing please select from the dropdown option next to ‘membership number’ on the booking form below.
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Note: This event is hybrid and is being run both in-person at Cowcross Street Gallery and online via Zoom. The event will be recorded and offered as a catch-up lecture for those who have booked and will be available for two weeks.
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The Twentieth Century Society is an IHBC (Institute of Historic Building conservation) recognised CPD provider.
The Twentieth Century Society is a registered charity, no 1110244
Image above: Ibrox Stadium
Image credit: © Steve Daniels / CC-BY-SA-2.0
C20’s Autumn Lecture Series is supported by Hallett Independent - a specialist firm of private client and art insurance brokers. Independent of the big, global insurance firms, we provide a service defined by expert advice and attention to detail. We are a small team of knowledgeable individuals with a shared enthusiasm for art and cultural heritage.
For more information, go to hallettindependent.com