Global design firm Populous collaborated with the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center to open two new venues in Birmingham, Alabama this past Fall. Both venues are located in Birmingham’s downtown area, and are a part of the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC).
The Protective Plan
The 850,000-sf, $188 million Protective Stadium debuted this past Fall as the new home of the University of Alabama (UAB) at Birmingham football. The idea of a multi-purpose stadium at the BJCC has been part of their strategic plan for many years.
Birmingham wanted to make sure they planned out bringing in a stadium that was unique to their city. Populous and the BJCC had a vision of a stadium designed to accommodate football, soccer, concerts, and other events. The red brick and black steel materials integrated in the complex are influenced by Birmingham’s heritage and landmarks. Every element of the new stadium was thought out strategically to help represent Birmingham.
“Located in the heart of downtown Birmingham and across the street from the popular Uptown entertainment district Populous helped master plan years ago, the site was ideal for a football stadium, so it fits together very nicely,” said Jim Swords, Principal at Populous and Project Manager for both venues, in a release. “One side of the site is urban, and the other is a residential neighborhood. This one-of-a-kind stadium fits right into the site. It is scaled to the surrounding buildings and doesn’t rise above everything in a big sea of parking but is nestled into the surrounding city blocks. You can see the city from the stands, so the design is very much unique to Birmingham.”
Built To Host
A key factor in Populous’ design was making sure that the new stadium was “right sized” to attract more regional and high profile events to Birmingham. The BJCC has scheduled the Super 7 championships, the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl, and the opening and closing ceremonies for The World Games next summer.
As mentioned, the UAB football team was also a huge part of Populous and the BJCC’s original plan. They wanted to make sure that they provided a true college football atmosphere, and there’s no better way to do that than by having one of the largest scoreboards in the sport. There’s also a standing room plaza student section and a 360 degree concourse that circles the stadium.
Reconstruction of a Legacy
The work with Protective Stadium was not the only project the BJCC funded, and it was not the only project that Populous designed recently. Both companies teamed up again to work on the extensive, $71.7 million reconstruction of the 45-year-old Legacy Arena. They updated the old building into a modern 335,000-sf multipurpose arena that can hold 15,000 people for basketball, 16,000 for center stage concerts, and 12,000 for end concerts.
“The reconstruction of Legacy Arena was all about turning an old building into a new building, making a famed venue into a modern arena while keeping its character,” Swords said, in a release. “While everyone could see Protective Stadium being built from the outside, the arena rebuild was mostly hidden from public view. People will be amazed when they walk into Legacy Arena because it’s a 45-year-old building that will look brand new on the inside.”
New Features
The most obvious update to the facility is the new exterior. It replaces the original facade, and provides a new ground level entry that faces downtown Birmingham. There’s also a plaza entry that welcomes visitors to the glass lobby, in which they can enjoy natural light while taking a look at the views of the city.
The arena has been revitalized into a sports venue, and the new lobby features new stairs, elevators and escalators that gives the crowd the access they need. Concession stands and restrooms were also upgraded to meet today’s standards.
Inside the arena, the seating bowl itself has been upgraded. There are new seats throughout, as well as premium amenities like 12 brand new suites, a new Upper-Level Club and a newly renovated Arena Club. Also in the seating bowl, improvements were made on an operational level, such as a new sound system, lighting, ribbon boards, and other infrastructure.
Populous served as architect of record for both the new 42,000-seat Protective Stadium and the completely redesigned 15,000-seat Legacy Arena.
Related Stories
| Dec 27, 2013
$1 billion 'city within a city' development approved by Coachella, Calif., city council
The mega development includes 7,800 homes, a retail center, office space, and nearly 350 acres of open space.
| Dec 13, 2013
Safe and sound: 10 solutions for fire and life safety
From a dual fire-CO detector to an aspiration-sensing fire alarm, BD+C editors present a roundup of new fire and life safety products and technologies.
| Dec 10, 2013
16 great solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors
From a crowd-funded smart shovel to a why-didn’t-someone-do-this-sooner scheme for managing traffic in public restrooms, these ideas are noteworthy for creative problem-solving. Here are some of the most intriguing innovations the BD+C community has brought to our attention this year.
| Dec 9, 2013
Tips for designing higher education's newest building type: the learning commons
In this era of scaled-down budgets, maximized efficiencies, new learning methods and social media’s domination of face time, college and university campuses are gravitating toward a new space type: the learning commons.
| Dec 4, 2013
First look: Dubai's winning bid for World Expo 2020 [slideshow]
Dubai has been chosen as the site of the 2020 World Expo. HOK led the design team that developed the master plan for the Expo, which is expected to draw more than 25 million visitors from October 2020 through April 2021.
| Dec 3, 2013
Historic Daytona International Speedway undergoing $400 million facelift
The Daytona International Speedway is zooming ahead on the largest renovation in the Florida venue’s 54-year history. Improvements include five redesigned guest entrances, an extended grandstand with 101,000 new seats, and more than 60 new trackside suites for corporate entertaining.
| Nov 27, 2013
Wonder walls: 13 choices for the building envelope
BD+C editors present a roundup of the latest technologies and applications in exterior wall systems, from a tapered metal wall installation in Oklahoma to a textured precast concrete solution in North Carolina.
| Nov 26, 2013
Video: Zaha Hadid's stadium for Qatar 2022 World Cup
Zaha Hadid Architects, in conjunction with AECOM, has released renderings for a major stadium being designed for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup--an event that will involve up to nine stadiums.
| Nov 26, 2013
Construction costs rise for 22nd straight month in November
Construction costs in North America rose for the 22nd consecutive month in November as labor costs continued to increase, amid growing industry concern over the tight availability of skilled workers.
| Nov 25, 2013
Building Teams need to help owners avoid 'operational stray'
"Operational stray" occurs when a building’s MEP systems don’t work the way they should. Even the most well-designed and constructed building can stray from perfection—and that can cost the owner a ton in unnecessary utility costs. But help is on the way.
