Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee is one of the leading designers of sports and entertainment venues in the world. During his career of over 30 years, Christopher has led the design of more than 35 major stadiums across five continents, helping to define the global standard for sports and entertainment architecture. He is the Global Head of Design for Populous, in addition to senior leadership roles as Vice Chair of the Global Board of Directors and as Managing Director of the EMEA region.

Born on Australia’s east coast, he holds degrees in both Design and Architecture. Over the course of his career, he has worked in Australia, America and the United Kingdom with major international sports organisations and clubs to deliver some of the most innovative and iconic venues in the world.

Christopher’s early work includes the main stadium for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and the pioneering Millennium Stadium in Cardiff — the first in Europe to feature a fully retractable roof. He later led the design of the Emirates Stadium for Arsenal Football Club and the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, both of which helped redefine the modern football venue in their respective countries.

In the Americas, Christopher directed the design of the AIA award-winning 50,000-seat stadium for Fútbol Club de Monterrey in Mexico, a FIFA-compliant stadium for the Houston Dynamo in Texas, and the 40,000-seat Estádio das Dunas for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Christopher also led the design and delivery of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, widely regarded as one of the best stadiums in the world. From concept through to completion, he worked closely with the club’s ownership to create what is now considered the most advanced stadium globally, acclaimed for its architectural innovation, multi-functionality, and world-class fan experience.

Recently, he has overseen Populous teams on groundbreaking and nation building iconic projects across UK, Europe and MENA; these projects include the new stadium for AS Roma in Rome, Italy, the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium at Qiddiya in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the extensive refurbishment of the iconic King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh and the King Salman Stadium in Riyadh, which has been selected to host the final of the FIFA World Cup in 2034.

Beyond individual buildings, Christopher is engaged in the masterplanning and urban design of large-scale venue anchored precincts. He brings a strong focus on how stadiums and arenas can be integrated into the fabric of cities to deliver lasting civic, social, and economic value. Christopher works closely with leading international sports bodies to help shape design guidelines for organisations including FIFA, Major League Soccer, and the UK’s Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide). He is also active in academia and thought leadership, lecturing at New York University and serving as a guest critic at the Bartlett School of Architecture and Columbia GSAPP. Christopher is a regular speaker at global conferences on how sports and entertainment architecture can influence culture, shape cities, and elevate the human experience.

Appointed Managing Director of Populous EMEA in 2015, Christopher has overseen dramatic expansion of the practice in that region, in terms of both geographic growth and expansion of service lines, to create a multifaceted architecture and design practice that can serve clients across the full scope of venue design and development. In 2025 Christopher became Vice Chairman of Populous and Global Head of Design, where he is responsible for shaping the future direction of Populous’ design. He sits on Populous’ Global Board of Directors, the EMEA Board, and on the practice’s Global Strategic Committee.