Social distancing creates new challenges for stadium designers

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Southampton v Aston Villa - St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, Britain - February 22, 2020 General view of match balls on the pitch before the match Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

BERN (Reuters) - From getting to the toilets to creating an atmosphere, the prospect of social distancing is setting new challenges for stadium designers and operators who usually aim to keep people together rather than apart.

Although football is starting to reawaken after the COVID-19 pandemic, the days of large stadiums crowds seem a long way off. Even when they return, they may have to respect social distancing guidelines, something that stadium architects such as Populous are already considering.