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Architecture studio HOK has unveiled the planned renovation of the National Football League stadium in Jacksonville, USA, which would cover the existing building with a fritted dome.
The studio will expand the current program of the stadium by wrapping it in sinuous, reflective cladding and covering it in a see-through “membrane”. The team has referred to the design as the “Stadium of the Future”.
The majority of the renovations will be focused on expanding the concourse surrounding the seating bowl, which will have four times the width that it currently has. The concourse will also be lifted and encircle the whole stadium.
The band will wrap around the exterior of the stadium, widening at points to create a large, bulbous facade and thinning to a strip at the entrances to expose the expanded concourse, which will be lined with a number of “interactive” elements and restaurants.
This mirrored cladding will frame the new roof of the stadium, which the team referred to as a “fritted roof membrane”. This domed roof will protect the field during the rainy months in Florida and allow for ambient natural light.
Seating will be expanded to accommodate a base of 62,000 fans, with the ability to expand to more than 71,500 for special events.
The brief for the design mentions a series of sustainable attributes to the building, including temperature management through the openings at the entrances and a shade canopy that will shelter the stadium bowl.
Also included in the designs is a “subtropical” park that will surround the stadium and frame the walkways around the stadium.
“This transformation transcends the stadium’s boundaries,” said HOK design principal Peter Broeder.
“The design creates an iconic, accessible community nexus that ties together the surrounding neighborhoods and riverfront,” he continued.
“The venue will celebrate Jacksonville’s natural landscape and climate, offering a park-like ambiance enriched by the latest amenities, engaging social spaces and state of the art technology.”
Currently called TIAA Bank Field, the stadium is owned by the city of Jacksonville.
Discussions between the team’s ownership and the city have been ongoing since 2016, and after years of deliberation, they decided that a renovation would be more effective than ground-up construction.
Earlier this year, they selected HOK to present proposals for the new design.
Founded in St Louis, Missouri in 1955, HOK is one of the largest architecture studios in the world. Its sports and entertainment arm has designed other NFL stadiums including Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which features a retractable roof that “opens and closes like a camera aperture”.
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