Some of the smartest gamesmanship is taking place off the field, as professional and collegiate sports organizations aim to expand the fan experience.
Little Caesars Arena, a multipurpose venue shared by the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and NBA’s Detroit Pistons, anchors The District Detroit, a 50-block mixed-use development in the heart of the city. The arena’s lower main concourse is positioned at street level, and many of its amenities extend to an outdoor concourse that generates year-round activity.
“As designers, we have unprecedented opportunities to help revitalize our urban cores through the development of these venues and their surrounding districts,” says Nate Appleman, AIA, LEED AP, Director of Sports + Recreation + Entertainment at HOK.
SunTrust Park, the new suburban home of the MLB’s Atlanta Braves, was designed simultaneously with the Battery Atlanta mixed-use development.
SunTrust Park, the new suburban home of the MLB’s Atlanta Braves. Photo courtesy Mortensen Construction
“The unique nature of this project allowed us to blur the lines between ballpark and development, creating multiple shared experiences between the two,” says Zach Allee, Associate Principal, LEED AP, at Populous.
On college campuses, the fusion of athletics, academics, healthcare, and research is yielding innovative hybrid facilities.
“The sports and healthcare markets are being merged in collegiate training facilities, athletics operations buildings, and campus health and nutrition centers,” says Bart Miller, PE, Principal and Sports Market Leader, Walter P Moore. “Many of these facilities have a medical or research component, providing athletes access to state-of-the-art medical care and medical researchers access to world-class athletes.”
Notre Dame Stadium was the centerpiece of the university’s $400 million Campus Crossroads Project, which added about 800,000 sf of classroom, research, student life, fitness, digital media, performance, meeting, event, and hospitality space.
“Funding challenges are a driving factor behind these intersecting program types,” says HOK’s Appleman. “We often can use the power of athletics to help with fundraising for buildings that include healthcare, research, and recreation components.”
Sports venues are also extending to the virtual realm, with the first eSports-specific stadium under development in Arlington, Texas. Designed by Populous, the 100,000-sf venue will occupy underutilized space in the city’s convention center.
Little Caesars Arena. Photo Michael Robinson, courtesy HOK
Related Stories
| Sep 1, 2016
COURTHOUSE GIANTS: A ranking of the nation's top courthouse design and construction firms
DLR Group, NBBJ, Hensel Phelps, Sundt Construction, AECOM, and Dewberry top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest courthouse sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 30, 2016
CONVENTION CENTER GIANTS: A ranking of the nation's top convention center sector design and construction firms
Gensler, LMN Architects, AECOM, Turner Construction Co., and WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest convention center sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
BIM and Information Technology | Aug 30, 2016
BIM GIANTS: A ranking of the nation's top BIM design and construction firms
HOK, Perkins+Will, Turner Construction Co., The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Jacobs, and Thornton Tomasetti top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest BIM AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 19, 2016
RECONSTRUCTION GIANTS: Facelifts give buildings new identities, even as they keep a few wrinkles
Reconstruction is always a balancing act between the client’s pro forma and what the building needs to be vibrant again.
| Aug 19, 2016
Top 70 Reconstruction Engineering Firms
Jacobs, Robins & Morton, and The Boldt Company top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest reconstruction sector engineering and E/A firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 19, 2016
Top 110 Reconstruction Construction Firms
Gilbane Building Co., Turner Construction Co., and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest reconstruction sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 19, 2016
Top 130 Reconstruction Architecture Firms
The Beck Group, Stantec, and IMC Consruction top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest reconstruction sector architecture and A/E firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 18, 2016
LOCAL GOVERNMENT GIANTS: A ranking of the nation’s top design and construction firms in local sector work
HOK, Stantec, Turner Construction Co.,Clark Group, AECOM and STV top Building Design+Construction’s annual rankings of the nation’s largest local government sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 18, 2016
STATE GOVERNMENT GIANTS: A ranking of the nation’s top design and construction firms in state sector work
CannonDesign, Stantec, Turner Construction Co.,Mortensen Construction, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff and AECOM top Building Design+Construction’s annual rankings of the nation’s largest state government sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 18, 2016
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GIANTS: A ranking of the nation’s top design and construction firms in federal sector work
Page, EYP, Fluor Corp.,BL Harbert International, and AECOM top Building Design+Construction’s annual rankings of the nation’s largest federal government sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
