Urban graphic heritage and the making of place: the ‘arsenalisation’ of the Emirates stadium

Having played at Highbury Stadium since 1913, Arsenal Football Club (Arsenal) moved a mere 500 metres to their new Emirates Stadium in 2006. In conforming to a contemporary ‘concrete bowl’ design, the new stadium lacked architectural distinctiveness. It also lacked the deeply emotional memories made over the years that meant Highbury was seen as ‘hallowed turf’. To embed a sense of history and heritage into the new stadium, Arsenal embarked on a process of place-making they described as ‘Arsenalisation’ which employs design-led graphic heritage within and around the space. Drawing on observation, visual analysis and interdisciplinary literature research, this article focuses on the impact of these interventions in supporters’ place-making and place attachment. It discusses the impact of graphic heritage on matchday rituals; the engagement of existing supporters and the initiation of new fans in Arsenal’s history; and the use of graphic heritage in re-establishing a local sense of place.