England, UK – BDP has strengthened its capabilities in the sports sector with the acquisition of global stadia design specialist, Pattern.

BDP's Chief Executive, John McManus, who oversaw the acquisition, said: “As China prepares to host the AFC Asian Cup in 2023, it is with great pleasure that we announce our new partnership with Pattern. It is a first-class practice with extensive experience in designing the best, large-scale sports stadia across the globe and as we celebrate our 60th anniversary, we are excited to bring the Pattern team into our continuous collective.”

Founded in 2009 by Dipesh Patel, Pattern developed an enviable portfolio of high-profile sports and entertainment projects. The firm successfully won a series of international competitions and major commissions in China, North America, Europe, Middle East and the United Kingdom. Most recently, Pattern won the concept competition hosted by Wanda Group to design the new Dalian Stadium ahead of the AFC Asian Cup in 2023.

Pattern's widespread experience complements the work completed by BDP at famous sporting venues including Wimbledon All England Lawn Tennis Club and Aintree Racecourse.

Pattern's 40-strong studio of architects, technologists, computational designers, and support staff will operate as BDP Pattern and continue under the direction of Dipesh Patel, who becomes a Principal at BDP.

Dipesh Patel, added: “We are very excited to begin the next phase of our practice's history by joining BDP. Our project designs are based on deep research, high-tech design and simple implementation. We have been fortunate to use this ethos designing of some of the best stadia in China, the Middle East and Canada and we have recently secured approval for a major Premier League soccer stadium in the UK. By being part of this global interdisciplinary practice with multiple office locations, our teams will be able to enter new markets and manage a much higher workload.”