The shape of the site dictated the building be an ellipse, rather than a more traditional rectangle. This enabled the stadium to be located over 100m from the nearest homes, so noise levels remain at existing levels and the impact of artificial light is minimised.
Nevertheless, Arsenal wanted a dramatic venue that highlighted their ambition to become a global force in football. To that end, HOK devised a glass and steel construction that sparkles in sunlight and glows at night. The stadium was the first in England to be equipped with HDTV, after Arsenal signed a deal with Sony.
The stadium is expected to receive a five-star rating from UEFA, which will allow it to host the UEFA Champions League final although the presence of Wembley in the same city would make this unlikely.
The stadium has a 105m×68m grass pitch (total grassed area is 113m×76m) making it one of the largest in the Premier League. The players' tunnel and the dugout are both on the west side of the stadium underneath the television camera area. The stadium is configured to host around 9,000 away supporters in two areas (1,500 to 4,500 behind the south goal in the lower tier and also 4,500 in the upper tier