Whenever you hear or read about a professional staff researching the possibility of moving to another city, the desire for a new stadium is often the principal reason. A sparkling new stadium full of modern amenities attracts fans in droves — which generates significant revenues for the team and the regional businesses that surround the facility such as pubs, restaurants, hotels and retail shops. The NFL’s Oakland Raiders are the most recent instance of a game’s team making a move in search of greener pastures. Playing from the antiquated Oakland Coliseum, which was constructed more than 50 years ago, the team generated a mere $69 million in stadium revenues in 2015, according to Forbes magazine. In contrast, the Dallas Cowboys, playing in the pristine, state-of-the-art AT&T Stadium, raked in more than $440 million. Not able to obtain financial support to construct a new stadium in Oakland, the team’s possession sought and obtained approval from the league to move to Las Vegas, where it will play in a recently constructed 65,000-seat domed stadium (price tag: $1.9 billion) tentatively scheduled for completion in 2020. Annual earnings projections for the new facility range from $250-$350 million.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE SPORTS STADIUM
While the origins of the sports stadium can be traced to the early Greeks, the first modern facilities were constructed in the mid-to-late 19th century. These game venues were designed with practicality in mind — the goal was to hold as many spectators as possible, and amenities were virtually non-existent. The majority of these ancient structures were single-purpose facilities constructed mainly of wood, several of which were destroyed by fire. Goodison Park, a Liverpool, England soccer stadium that opened in 1892, was the first sports facility to incorporate a concrete-and-steel construction. The trend of single-purpose stadiums continued through much of the 20th century. Facilities such as Fenway Park in Boston, which opened in 1912, and Ebbets Field in Brooklyn and Wrigley Field in Chicago, both of which were finished in 1914, were specifically built for baseball. Designed to blend into the surrounding city neighborhoods, these facilities featured relatively small seating capacities and provided fans with an intimate, up-close ballpark experience that nearly made them feel as though they were part of the activity.
THE BIRTH OF THE MULTIPURPOSE STADIUM
The post-World War II migration of Americans from the city to the suburbs together with the increase in popularity of professional football led to the birth of the multipurpose sports stadium concept, which served as the model for those facilities constructed during the 1960s and 1970s. Designed for both soccer and baseball, these circular, symmetrical concrete facilities were typically constructed in suburban locations and offered easy access by interstate highway. Spacious parking lots were alsorequired to accommodate the heavy vehicle traffic, as these facilities were inaccessible through the cities’ mass transit systems. Examples of the multipurpose stadium concept included Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.; Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia; Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh; Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium; and Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. The Houston Astrodome, which opened in 1965, was the world’s first multipurpose stadium to feature a domed roof and an artificial turf field.
THE RETURN TO THE SINGLE-PURPOSE STADIUM CONCEPT
While multipurpose stadiums offered the advantage of practicality and versatility, the uninspired cookie-cutter design featured in most of these facilities eventually fell out of favor with spectators, especially old-school baseball fans who longed for a return to the local ballpark feel and look. This caused the development of the retro-classic concept inspired by older facilities such as Wrigley Field and Fenway Park. The first of the retro-classic ballparks was Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Completed in 1992, Camden Yards rests on the site of an old B&O railroad yard in South Baltimore and features a sprawling, 1,100-foot-long, eight-story refurbished railroad warehouse as a backdrop. Other stadiums motivated by the Camden Yards model include Progressive Field in Cleveland, PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, AT&T Park in San Francisco and Miller Park in Milwaukee. These facilities combine the retro look and feel with all the modern features and amenities necessary to meet the demands of the 21st-century sports fan. These brand new baseball stadiums include expansive scoreboards and video replay screens, in addition to natural grass or artificial turf fields that are softer than artificial turf.
CURRENT AND FUTURE STADIUM DESIGN TRENDS
While the traditional stadium design catered to families, modern stadiums to appeal to the 18-to-34-year-old demographic. These younger individuals view going to a sporting event as a whole entertainment experience that entails far more than watching a ball game. The design of newer facilities typically incorporates features such as pedestrian malls, entertainment plazas and concourses situated outside the stadium that allow fans to dine, shop and socialize before and after the match. Now’s facilities also feature numerous seating environments that extend well beyond the standard stadium seat in the middle of a crowded row of spectators. Premium seating options include private suites that resemble living rooms and can accommodate 10-15 fans. These suites include a private entrance from the stadium concourse and have attributes such as buffets, bars, television screens and computers with Internet access. Some stadiums even offer field suites situated in the front row that place fans directly on top of the activity. Stadium amenities have also come a long way, concerning the variety of food options. In addition to the hot dog, beer and bag of peanuts, many stadiums offer a broad assortment of luxury cuisine and craft beers and wine to cater to a younger, more upscale crowd. Menu options at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, widely considered the crown jewel of NFL facilities, include everything from chicken fried quail into a brisket sandwich on pretzel bread smothered in melted onions, piquillo peppers and melted cheddar cheese. While the popularity of single-purpose stadiums continues, there are signs of an eventual return to the multipurpose concept. Based on John Rhodes, Director of Sports, Recreation and Entertainment at the London office of HOK, the architectural company largely responsible for creating the Camden Yards concept, the multipurpose design was gaining traction across Europe over the past decade. Rhodes suggests there is an increasing shift toward creating more civic-type facilities that can host a wide array of sporting and community events. Sustainability has also become a critical element in all new stadium projects to comply with LEED requirements. In a recent StarTalk Radio episode, Stadiums of the Future, Neil deGrasse Tyson dives into modern stadium designs and tech with co-hosts Gary O’Reilly and Chuck Nice and Benjamin Brillat of IBM Sports. Bejamin Brillat discusses how these advancements start right from when the stadium is only a hole in the floor. They bury the conduit from the concrete before it gets poured. Future designs won’t only change how fans experience a game, but it could also change the sport.