Designing a massive football stadium is challenging enough, but delivering Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium proved to be an entirely different beast. Los Angeles-based architect Dan Meis had to navigate a chaotic cocktail of obstacles to complete the project: a global pandemic, a club ownership takeover, nail-biting relegation scares, and even the startling discovery of unexploded World War II bombs buried on the construction site.
The stunning new venue finally opened its doors to supporters last August, marking the end of a truly turbulent journey. "Just about everything that could happen did," Meis remarked when reflecting on the unpredictable timeline.
The stakes for the American architect were incredibly high. Meis was tasked with uprooting a deeply devoted fanbase from Goodison Park—Everton’s hallowed home of 133 years—and transplanting them into a brand-new dockside arena. Despite having designed iconic, high-profile venues like the Staples Center for the Los Angeles Lakers, Meis admitted that nothing could have prepared him for the unique intensity of Merseyside.
"That was an important building to people, but it was nothing like Everton," Meis explained. "I don't think I will ever have another experience quite like that because of who the club are, what the city of Liverpool is and the site where we built."
Initially doubting whether a historic English Premier League club would entrust a Los Angeles firm with their future home, Meis threw himself entirely into the rich heritage of the team and the city. His dedication ultimately went skin-deep—the architect now proudly sports a tattoo of "1878," immortalizing the year the Toffees were founded.
During the planning phases, he quickly learned just how fiercely protective the supporters were of their club's identity. Extensive fan consultations were a core part of the design process, though Meis noted with a smile that the passionate feedback wasn't always "super friendly."
A major flashpoint during these debates was the new ground's capacity. The Hill Dickinson Stadium ultimately accommodates over 52,000 spectators. While that represents a hefty 12,000-seat upgrade from Goodison Park, it falls 9,000 seats short of local rival Liverpool’s Anfield.
"I can't tell you the number of tweets I got from fans saying, 'it's OK as long as we have one more seat than Anfield'," Meis recalled, highlighting the fierce cross-city rivalry that permeated the historic build.
Despite missing out on the ultimate bragging rights regarding seat count, the final structure stands as a monumental tribute to the club's maritime roots, purposefully designed by Meis to feel as though it organically "grew out of the dock."