The Rooftop at Coors Field in Denver provides a new interactive space for fans to gather. (Photo by Populous)
The ability to provide fans with the tools to use social media seems to be the buzz of the day but, in the world of stadium design, social spaces are emphasized as much as social media.
“We saw that with the opening of The Rooftop at Coors Field (home of the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball) and spaces like the North End Zone at EverBank Field (home of the National Football League Jacksonville Jaguars) that fans want and will pay for, completely unique experiences that are geared more toward socializing while at the game than the game itself,” said Bruce Miller, senior principal, Populous.
While the space for social engagement might be expanding, Gerardo Prado, principal with HNTB, believes that for the most part the venues themselves are getting smaller.
“College and NFL stadiums as well as sports arenas are reducing their seating capacity to accommodate smaller crowds,” Prado said, assuming reducing supply might increase demand and smaller arenas eliminate the empty-seat scenario for TV.
There is a renewed focus on connecting stadiums to the surroundings and creating an experience that starts before a fan actually enters a stadium and, creates a community asset.
“Owners and operators want their venues to function on non-game days and by creating greater connectivity to a stadium’s surroundings, there is added incentive for concerts, community events and meetings to be hosted within a stadium’s walls,” Miller said.
Adam Gill, designer and project manager at Pro Sports Developments, cited the booming popularity of soccer as another trend in stadium design.
“It is hands down the most impactful trend on American sports facilities design,” he said. “For instance, virtually every new NFL stadium designed within the last five years has made adjustments from the typical seating configurations and sightlines to now fully accommodate soccer sightlines and full-size soccer fields. Part of the increasing size of the new NFL facilities is related to administration space required for an additional soccer franchise tenant.”
The proliferation of new technologies — allowing for connectivity and applications that enhance the experience — signifies a systemic change in the way people communicate and engage with one another and the game, Miller said. “For architects, that means we have to approach the fan experience differently and look to design spaces that actually work with this trend and give fans the opportunity for access, engagement and socialization that they desire.”
“We’re also diving into the impact of augmented reality technology and more sophisticated analytics on both the fan and the athlete experience. I think 10 years from now, analytics will be absolutely critical to training and become essential to analyzing, understanding and shaping the spaces that we create.”
New facilities are being designed to accommodate the latest technology while older facilities are being retrofit with new tech. Consumers are the winners as they are delighted by larger scoreboards, high definition video screens and great sound systems.
Prado noted that many facilities are incorporating DAS systems and WiFi into the fan experience.
“Owners are able to leverage free WiFi in many ways,” he said. “They can push notifications to patrons regarding promotions, etc., on site. They can track the fans’ interactions to learn what they do while at the stadium, what they watch and what offers they are responding to so that they can customize messages.”
While Prado believes one trend is that venues are for the most part getting smaller, that doesn’t mean the space around the venue is following the same trend and downsizing. To the contrary, luring patrons to venues earlier and encouraging them to stay later is another trend, and that requires building ancillary properties around the venue.
“Stadiums are a destination mentality today,” he said. “Stadium design has to consider its destination status and accommodate ancillary development that includes restaurants, shopping, transit, green spaces and plazas.”
Expansive club seating is old school, Prado said. While this type of premium product remains very important to the design of a venue, the massive club lounge experience is no longer the model.
“Fans want a more intimate club experience with opportunity for socializing,” Prado said. “The trend in stadia design is to have more, smaller club lounge areas, each with a distinct environment, engaging themes and integrated branding. More diversity of premium products provides flexibility in the marketing of the space to fans and corporate partners.”
He cited as an example the new Levi’s Stadium, home to the San Francisco 49ers, that offers nine different club locations with each one having a different pricing structure and a different look from the next.
As anyone who visits a stadium can attest, wider and larger concourses are another must in stadium design.
“Professional and collegiate sports venues have adopted a strategy that began with baseball venues of incorporating open concourses, with direct views to the playing field and court,” Prado said. “Fans can walk around the primary concourses without losing the connection to the field, providing for a more exciting atmosphere for fans.”
Stadiums of today seek to become destination sites. Prado cited an example in his hometown of Kansas City.
“The Sprint Center and the Power & Light District have a symbiotic relationship that has been a boon for the city. Every place should want that.”
Interviewed for this story: Adam Gill, (210) 496-6611; Bruce Miller, (816) 221-1500; Gerardo Prado, (816) 472-1201