Bjarke Ingels’ design for the Oakland A’s new Las Vegas ballpark resembles ‘a spherical armadillo’

Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) in collaboration with HNTB, the new ballpark for the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team will be located on the Las Vegas Strip and offer panoramic views of the city skyline. The 33,000-capacity covered, climate-controlled stadium will sit on nine acres on Las Vegas Boulevard. 

The A’s will relocate from Oakland, Calif., to Las Vegas in 2028. The new ballpark’s expected opening date will be in spring of that year. 

BIG’s design pays homage to the sport: Five overlapping shells on the ballpark’s roof will resemble baseball pennants. The pennant-shaped arches are designed for passive shading and will maximize natural light; they will block direct sunlight glare while allowing indirect natural light through north-facing clerestory windows. In addition, the structure’s exterior metal cladding will reflect the daylight and the city’s night lights. 

“The resultant architecture is like a spherical armadillo,” Bjarke Ingels, BIG’s Founder and Creative Director, said in a statement.

An elevated outdoor plaza connects with the bridges over Las Vegas and Tropicana Boulevards. The plaza directs fans to the ballpark’s main concourse and its large glass atrium. In addition to improving wayfinding and circulation, this entrance allows views of the entire field and seating bowl upon entry. Inside, open atria will serve as multipurpose exhibition spaces showcasing local and global artists.

How will the A’s open-air ballpark keep fans cool in the Las Vegas heat? 

Inspired by historic ballparks such as Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, the Athletics ballpark will boast an intimate, tiered design that brings fans closer to the action than traditional ballparks and provides every seat with clear sight lines. An air-conditioning system distributes at the seats instead of from above, making cooling more efficient.

The current design features an 18,000-square-foot jumbotron, which would make it the MLB’s largest screen, as well as the world’s largest cable glass wall, according to BIG’s statement. 

The Athletics Ballpark will be able to double as a venue for concerts, conferences, and other events. Potential development around the ballpark could include an onsite hotel and casino.

“Las Vegas is where the imagination runs free, characterized by bespoke, one-of-a-kind experiences. The A’s new ballpark will be filled with unique settings for the social interplay between, sport, spectacle and entertainment,” said Lanson Nichols, Principal-in-Charge, HNTB, in a statement. 

On the Building Team:
Owner: Athletics
Design architect: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)
Architect of record: HNTB
MEP engineer: Henderson Engineers
Structural engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
General contractor: Joint venture between Mortenson and McCarthy 

Check out more recent projects from Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG):

• Bjarke Ingels's curved residential high-rise will anchor a massive urban regeneration project in Greece
• Bjarke Ingels Group and Skanska to deliver 1550 on the Green, one of the most sustainable buildings in Texas