5 Stadiums That Los Angeles Should Emulate During Construction
This article about stadium construction is a guest blog entry by Jessica Kane. For further contact details, continue to the end of this article.
After over twenty years away, the NFL is returning to the City of Angels in the form of the Rams, who are returning next season after leaving for St. Louis in 1995. Many people have tried to bring professional football back to Los Angeles. The problem always was the lack of an adequate stadium. Stan Kroenke has finally gotten over that stumbling block with his Inglewood stadium, currently known as City of Champions Stadium, with completion scheduled for 2019. The new stadium that the Rams left Los Angeles for is finally being built for the Rams with the ground being officially broken the day after the NFL voted to allow the Rams to return to Los Angeles.
City of Champions Stadium construction is being planned to be the flagship stadium for the NFL. Presently plans are for the stadium to have a low profile and the field nearly 100 feet below street level under a clear glass roof that will allow natural light and breezes into the stadium and part of a larger complex that will include a complex known as NFL City. NFL City will have studio space, a multi-use auditorium and other features enabling the site to handle NFL Network productions as well as hosting the NFL Draft and Combine, making Los Angeles the center of the NFL world.
The question is, what should this stadium look like? There are many features of stadiums around the world that could be emulated and this article will discuss five of the best models for the City of Champions Stadium.
1. Levi Stadium, Santa Clara, California
2. AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
3. Met Life Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
4. University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
5. Wembley Stadium, London England
1. Levi Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Levi Stadium
In the last several years, stadiums around the world have made massive leaps forward in technology and the overall fan experience. Levi Stadium, the San Francisco 49ers’ home stadium, was completed in 2014 and is on the cutting edge for not only internet accessibility, but also in amenities and ecological impact.
Levi Stadium has the best WiFi service of any American stadium, enabling fans to track NFL games in nearly real time, as well as order concessions from their seats. As well, the stadium also blazed a new trail for stadiums going forward with the many considerations, from public transportation access to usage of its own solar energy generators and creative green spaces to be the first American stadium to be rated ecologically sustainable.
2. AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
AT&T Stadium
As the old adage goes, everything in Texas is bigger, and that includes their stadiums, lead by AT&T stadium, built in 2009. Withstanding room included, AT&T Stadium can hold up to 105,000 for Dallas Cowboys games. While the Cowboys rarely open up all of their standing room seats, the sheer audacity and bravado have to be applauded and that aspect should be emulated.
It’s the size and the stadium group’s willingness to host has turned the stadium into one of the leading stadiums for any number of events beyond the NFL, including college football, boxing, and the NBA All-Star game. With the cost of the new Rams’ stadium likely to be near 1.3 billion dollars, being open and able to host a variety of events can help the site generate revenue.
3. Met Life Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Met Life Stadium
Opening in 2010, the home of the New York Giants and Jets has the largest seated capacity of any NFL stadium (not including the temporary home of the Rams, the venerable Los Angeles Coliseum) at a little over 82,000 seats. While its size is impressive, how it handles two franchises in the only media market of a similar size to Los Angeles playing in the same stadium will be crucial to the likely success of the new Rams’ stadium.
While they are aided by creative NFL scheduling, the distinctive look of the Jets and Giants is created for their games by a crew capable of quickly changing facades and logos in short order as there are circumstances where the Giants and Jets could play on consecutive days, whether for Monday Night Football or the playoffs. With it likely that another franchise joining the Rams in their stadium, that flexibility will be key for the success of this new stadium.
4. University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
University of Phoenix Stadium
The innovation and creativity in the architecture of the home of the Arizona Cardinals, completed in 2006, is something that surprisingly has yet to be emulated in other new stadiums. Considering the similarities between the climate in Phoenix and Los Angeles, some of the elements of the University of Phoenix Stadium should be used for City of Champions Stadium.
The arid and sunny conditions of both Phoenix and Los Angeles means that a stadium with a retractable roof could be difficult to keep comfortable as the sun baking down on top of it would tax even the strongest of air conditioning systems. U of Phoenix Stadium has panels on its exterior that can move and deflect the sun from the stadium itself, reducing some of the need for industrial strength cooling. The other feature, the grass field, is one of the best surfaces in the NFL and the ability to have that viable grass field through its retractable system is a feat of engineering that can be another element to attracting free agents and preventing injuries.
5. Wembley Stadium, London England
Wembley Stadium
Finally, the Rams should look towards a stadium used primarily for the other football for a stadium to emulate. Wembley Stadium is the premier stadium of English football and is considered one of the greatest destinations in international soccer. While it was remodeled in 2007, the prestige built up over its ninety years of operation remains.
Something that has been lacking in American sport has been that flagship stadium, similar to a Wembley Stadium for England or Azteca in Mexico. It is a difficult thing to achieve, but having that ambition to have not just the best stadium in the NFL, but to be placed among the greatest arenas in the world should be something for the Rams’ stadium group to strive.
Jessica Kane is a professional blogger who writes for Federal Steel Supply, Inc., a leading supplier of carbon, alloy and stainless steel in pipe, tube, fittings, and flanges.
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