Arsenal reveal new Emirates Stadium artwork

Arsenal revealed the eight new pieces of artwork that will ring the outside facade of the Emirates Stadium. They’re stunning. The pieces commemorate club history, illustrate club values, and celebrate the Arsenal community.

You absolutely must watch the video. And when you have time, read the post on Arsenal.com, too. They’re both really well done.

There is often a bit of trepidation leading up to a massive reveal because there is always the possibility that they get it wrong. This is the artwork on the outside of the ground, the first thing you see walking up to watch Arsenal play. Imagine if it didn’t fit.

But they’re magnificent. Each of the eight pieces has a different theme, capturing different facets of the club to broadcast to all Emirates visitors.

• Victoria Concordia Cresit: the club motto inspires the picture of Arsenal legends alongside the iconic cannons, associated with the club since it’s creation by workers at the Royal Arsenal Ordnance Factory.
• Remember Who You Are: shows the iconic red and white facade of the East Stand Highbury and plays off the David Rocastle quote “Remember who you are, what you are, and who you represent.” The image has some fantastic Easter eggs, too, if you look closely.
• Invincible: depicts members of the ‘03-’04 squad pulling a giant gold Premier League trophy into place as you would a statue on one side. On the other are players from the ‘06-’07 women’s team that won the Champions League as part of a quadruple season.
• Come To See The Arsenal: is the first thing you’ll see passing the stadium on southbound trains into London. It’s a simple piece that says “Home of the Arsenal” in typeface inspired by the lettering at Highbury.
• Eighteen Eighty-Six: features the year the club was founded (duh) in large numbers horizontally bisected by a banner that reads “Always Forward.”
• We All Follow the Arsenal: a patchwork of all the Arsenal supporters club banners from around the world — over 150 official supporters groups contributed 187 different flags.
• Future Brilliance: an image inspired by the Arsene Wenger quote, “Here you have the opportunity to get out the greatness that is in each of you” and emphasizes the club’s commitment to developing young players. The image shows young players running towards the Arsenal, depicted by Islington architecture, and emerging as club legends.
• Found A Place Where We Belong: is still in progress but will be a crowd scene featuring 721 supporters who have been part of the fabric of the club, like Maria Petri, and is inspired by the Dennis Bergkamp quote, “When you start supporting a football club, you don’t support it because of the trophies, or a player, or history, you support it becaues you found yourself somewhere there; found a place where you belong.”

Again, do watch the video and read the post on the club site to see it for yourself.

I’m going to bask in these warm, fuzzy feelings for as long as I can. I’m choking back tears of pride and joy. They’ve done that well. To quote Stuart MacFarlane, “This is my club. I fucking love this football club.”