12 Amazing Stadium Designs
It seems like most major professional sports teams in the U.S. have undertaken a stadium change in the last ten years. In New York alone we have the new Mets stadium Citi Field, Yankee Stadium, and the Meadowlands’ Jets stadium all under construction. There are also more long term (likely imaginary) plans for a new Madison Square Garden and a relocated New Jersey Nets stadium in Brooklyn. Today we even read in the Los Angeles Times about an upcoming bid to construct a stadium in an industrial district in hopes of one day attracting an NFL franchise to the City of Sprawl.
Stadiums present an interesting challenge for architects and planners. They are tied to cities but in many ways antithetical to good urbanism with their massive neighborhood-dwarfing size, huge parking lots and prolonged periods of disuse. Increasingly though, stadiums are being integrated more coherently with surrounding urban areas. By that standard North American stadium design is lagging, a bias that is clearly reflected by our picks below for 12 Amazing Stadium Designs.
Munich’s Allianz Arena (by Herzog & de Meuron)
It freaking changes color people!
Beijing National Stadium a.k.a. The Bird’s Nest (by Herzog & de Meuron)
London’s redesigned Wembley Stadium (by HOK Sport and Foster and Partners)
Lisbon’s Estádio Alvalade XXI (by Tomás Taveira)
Hard to appreciate in this aerial shot, but Taveira’s massive mosaic walls inject some fun into the typically pompous practice of stadium design.
Estádio Municipal de Aveiro in Aveiro, Portugal (by Tomás Taveira)
Taveiro strikes again with some amazingly whimsical structures and color. If only American stadium architects could take such a fun approach to pro sports.
Oita Stadium on Kyushu Island, Japan (by Kisho Kurokawa)
We especially love how incredibly open this stadium is, against the shuttered off fortress look that’s become all too common. Of course, that approach can work too sometimes…
The Sapporo Dome in Sapporo, Japan (by Hiroshi Hara)
Chicago’s redesigned Soldier’s Field (Wood & Zapata)
Our lone American entry is the sci-fi revamping of the Bears’ storied sanctuary. It came under fire from all sides, but we think the incredible juxtaposition of Neo-Classical columns and futuristic flying saucer is terrific.
Liverpool’s proposed Stanley Park Stadium (by HKS)
Though its future is still somewhat uncertain, the concept of slicing out a chunk of wall to open the stadium up works for us.
Valencia’s under construction Nou Mestalla Stadium (by Reid Fenwick and ArupSport)
We’re very excited about this one, which also plays with openings and screens delightfully.
Warsaw’s proposed National Stadium (by JSK Architecki)
The crown-like design is a little pompous, sure, but it’s transparent and therefore self-conscious and ironic.
Planned redesign of the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona (by Foster and Partners)
Color, it seems, is the new go-to feature for stadium design. We’re fine with that.
Damn you, Ben! WHERE IS FENWAY? Are you even aware of the attention to detail that went into the placement of sausage carts on Yawkey Way?
Fenway ugly.
The Sprint Center should be on here. Even if it is stuck in Kansas City.
http://www.visitkc.com/mediaroom/ImageLibrary/Sprint_Center_LR.jpg
I went to Camp Nou in Barca a couple years ago for a Barca match against Real Betis. The stadium’s already gorgeous and from some of the top seats you can look out over the city and see the ocean. the new design looks fantastic!
[...] I bet Jerry is upset his stadium didn’t make the list. [...]
Stadiums in Kansas are disqualified. It would be technically impossible to incorporate context into the architecture since Kansas itself has no context.
[...] here at Listicles are pretty big architecture buffs, and nothing gets us quite as excited as really cool-looking, original [...]
I think these are very fun and good choices.
In the USA I would still choose Wrigley Field from an historical persepective,Quest from a design and Heinz Field because of the way it reflects the confluence of the three rivers that is downtown Pittsburgh.
That area is known locally as the “golden triangle” and the yellow seats with an open end facing the river and downtown acknowledge that so perfectly. Then to top it off naming the stadium after a major Pittsburgh company is well - classic - just like Wrigley Field.
Fenway and Lambeau are nice but Heniz and Quest Field in Seattle really are the best designed of the USA market - and Heinz is more a setting and acknowlegement of it then anything else.
Context to me is the greatest thing a stadium can bring - if it is done right.
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