OK established the £200m stadium in a 7.8-acre park with public access. The designers reduced the secure area of the stadium to within the building itself, so freeing up outside areas to be used as public spaces.
The park sits on a podium above ground level, separating the pedestrian area from the traffic below. The podium is carved out so the stadium's entrance plaza is at street level. This area was designed as the development's front door.
The plaza is bounded by the club's offices, box office, the stadium's disabled entrance and a 10,000m2 megastore to sell Arsenal merchandise. From the plaza, a sweeping ramp and stairs lead to the to the east and west sides of the podium.
McAlpine employed 1,000 workers to build the stadium and surrounding structures, including two pedestrian bridges to span the eastern railway cutting and connecting the stadium with Drayton Park (completed in summer 2004). A third bridge at the site's northern corner is designed for emergency vehicle access only.
Since a previous application faced objections, the stadium was moved to minimise its impact on existing properties. The building was located as far north as possible, while still allowing safe circulation around the stadium at the podium level (the stadium runs north-south in the same orientation as Highbury). box tiers accommodate club and corporate spectators.