Everton Stadium continues to take shape, inside and out!

As final preparations begin for the transformative roof truss installation in the north stand, the concrete terracing installation has spread to the west (main) stand.

The two-stepped units, manufactured in Ireland by construction partner Laing O’Rourke’s supply chain partner, Banagher, are being bolted into place in the lower sections of the stand closest to the River Mersey, which will eventually house the dressing rooms and tunnel.

Meanwhile, the external walls of the stadium have begun their stunning transformation following the delivery and installation of the first brick façade panel in the north west core.

A grand total of 731 panels will eventually clad the external walls, incorporating elements of the historic Goodison Park latticework pioneered by the famous Scottish stadium architect, Archibald Leitch.

The panels, manufactured under carefully monitored factory conditions in Laing O’Rourke’s Centre of Excellence for Modern Construction, ensure quality and can be installed two months earlier than by using more traditional bricklaying methods on site, often in inclement weather conditions and, in a major health and safety benefit, avoiding the need to work at heights.

The first brick panel was lifted into place earlier this week, marking another huge leap forward for the development and providing more evidence of the cutting-edge technology being implemented by Laing O’Rourke.

Jon-Scott Kohli, Project Architect at BDP Pattern, explained: “The beauty of the stadium façade is that it perfectly blends handmade craftsmanship and modern technologies into something that is instantly recognisable as being part of Liverpool’s historic dockland and the heritage of Goodison Park.

“The bricks are custom made by hand, just 85 miles away in Loughborough, before they are cut in half to get two brick faces from each brick.

“This sustainable practice means we need half as many bricks as we otherwise would do.

“We designed every single brick in 3D, so the team in Laing O’Rourke’s factory use augmented reality technology to lay out, by hand, the distinctive Archibald Leitch truss pattern in the panels.

“Once the panels are cast, brought to site, and hung into position, the final level of quality is amazing and much better than if we had relied on conventional methods of construction.

“To me, it’s a real triumph of craftsmanship and technology working together. It’s just one example of how this stadium is both modern and historic all at once.”

Blues midfielder Amadou Onana was an intrigued visitor to the site last week, as he viewed the progress, becoming the first of Frank Lampard’s squad to visit the Bramley-Moore Dock site since construction began.