Stadium for Bath, the partnership behind a new community-focused elite rugby stadium in the city, has appointed planning and engineering giant Arup to play a central role in the design of the venue.

Arup will provide civil, geotechnical, structural, mechanical, electrical and public health engineering as well as ICT, audiovisual, acoustic and specialist lighting design for the new 18,000 seat, digitally-enabled stadium.

Arup’s team will be led from Bristol and will work closely with the other architectural firms appointed to design the stadium – Grimshaw Architects, Kay Elliot and Gross Max.

The stadium will be the new home of Premiership team Bath Rugby, but will also act as a community stadium for a number of local teams and clubs.

Arup has a strong track record in the design of sports stadia, and the company has previously been involved in projects at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, the national rugby stadium Twickenham and Brentford Community Stadium.

The firm's other past stadia projects also include Singapore Sports Hub, the new stadium of Italian club ACF Fiorentina and the ‘Bird’s Nest’, built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

It has also been involved in a number of projects in the city of Bath, including the historic Thermae Bath Spa.

“Arup's experience in delivering projects for sporting stadiums, combined with their experience in working in our unique World Heritage City of Bath, puts the company in a strong position to help deliver a stadium that the entire city can be proud of," said Tarquin McDonald, Bath Rugby CEO.

“Arup’s expertise will be invaluable, and as we strive to create not only a home for Bath Rugby but a stadium for the Bath community. We’re looking forward to their design input over the coming months as a vision for Stadium for Bath begins to take shape.”

The appointment follows a multi-stage procurement process involving a series of workshops with the Stadium for Bath team.

The workshops explored engineering challenges posed by the proposed site, which is positioned in the centre of the UNESCO World Heritage city.

Mike Cribb, associate director and Arup project manager for Stadium for Bath, added: “We’re excited to be part of this iconic project that will enhance the city of Bath; complimenting its UNESCO-designated architectural heritage.

"A particular area of focus for us will be exploring material options for the stadium’s roof that will suit the setting and enhance the stadium’s atmosphere.”

The Stadium for Bath venture is made up by Bath Rugby, Bath Rugby Foundation and Arena 1865.