The NFL’s Washington Redskins franchise has grand plans for a new stadium. The wave-like structure will have parks, bridges, even a moat surrounding it.
The stadium’s architect, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), was featured on CBS’s 60 Minutes this weekend. Ingels, the Danish starchitect, explained his vision for the stadium.
“The stadium is designed as much for the tailgating, like the pre-game, as for the game itself,” Ingels told 60 Minutes. “Tailgating literally becomes a picnic in a park. It can actually make the stadium a more lively destination throughout the year without ruining the turf for the football game.”
According to the Washington Post, a moat for kayakers and various parks and bridges will surround the stadium.
The Post also found that many Washington football fans think the design is dumb.
Also, everything about this image is absurd. Rappelling? Roller skates? Surfers? Bikinis? No porta potties? pic.twitter.com/rJam0k3uwB
— Dan Steinberg (@dcsportsbog) March 14, 2016
Specifics are unknown, in part, because the new stadium’s location still needs to be hashed out. The Redskins play at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. The venue opened in 1997, and the team has a lease through 2027. Redskins owner Dan Snyder wants a new home, though, and locations in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., are being considered.
D.C. is a difficult situation. CityLab explained that the team would have to change its nickname for the government to turn over the land underneath Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. But since BIG likes to incorporate site-specific features, a moat at the RFK site "would connect the venue with the nearby Anacostia River, which is popular with kayakers," Kriston Capps of CityLab wrote. "The design looks like a love letter to the team’s old neighborhood." A moat surrounding a Virginia-based stadium would be out of place.
BIG hasn’t designed an NFL stadium, but has recently worked on other ambitious projects, like The Spiral, a twisting 65-story tower in Manhattan.
The #Redskins have hired world-renowned firm BIG to develop new stadium concepts.
— Washington Redskins (@Redskins) March 11, 2016
MORE | https://t.co/hohCDeVvjb pic.twitter.com/6JMm0mOFI5
Related Stories
Arenas | Jun 14, 2023
A multipurpose arena helps revitalize a historic African American community in Georgia
In Savannah, Ga., Enmarket Arena, a multipurpose arena that opened last year, has helped revitalize the city’s historic Canal District—home to a largely African American community that has been historically separated from the rest of downtown.
Architects | Jun 6, 2023
Taking storytelling to a new level in building design, with Gensler's Bob Weis and Andy Cohen
Bob Weis, formerly the head of Disney Imagineering, was recently hired by Gensler as its Global Immersive Experience Design Leader. He joins the firm's co-CEO Andy Cohen to discuss how Gensler will focus on storytelling to connect people to its projects.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | May 30, 2023
How design supports a more holistic approach to training
For today’s college athletes, training is no longer about cramming team practices and weight lifting sessions in between classes.
Arenas | May 18, 2023
How can we reimagine live sports experiences?
A Gensler survey finds what sports fans' experiences have been like returning to arenas, and their expectations going forward.
Digital Twin | May 8, 2023
What AEC professionals should know about digital twins
A growing number of AEC firms and building owners are finding value in implementing digital twins to unify design, construction, and operational data.
Collegiate Stadiums | Apr 4, 2023
6 examples of modern college training facilities
HOK discusses the future of college training facilities, with six design takeaways derived from a discussion between Dan Radakovich, Director of Athletics at the University of Miami, and Trevor Bechtold, Director, HOK’s Sports + Recreation + Entertainment practice.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Mar 30, 2023
New University of St. Thomas sports arena will support school's move to Division I athletics
The University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minn., last year became the first Division III institution in the modern NCAA to transition directly to Division I. Plans for a new multipurpose sports arena on campus will support that move.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Mar 17, 2023
Aurora, Colo., recreation center features city’s first indoor field house, unobstructed views of the Rocky Mountains
In January, design firm Populous and the City of Aurora, Colo. marked the opening of the Southeast Aurora Recreation Center and Fieldhouse. The 77,000-sf facility draws design inspiration from the nearby Rocky Mountains. With natural Douglas Fir structure and decking, the building aims to mimic the geography of a canyon.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Mar 15, 2023
Georgia State University Convocation Center revitalizes long-neglected Atlanta neighborhood
Georgia State University’s new Convocation Center doubles the arena it replaces and is expected to give a shot in the arm to a long-neglected Atlanta neighborhood. The new 200,000 sf multi-use venue in the Summerhill area of Atlanta is the new home for the university’s men’s and women’s basketball teams and will also be used for large-scale academic and community events.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Feb 27, 2023
New 20,000-seat soccer stadium will anchor neighborhood development in Indianapolis
A new 20,000-seat soccer stadium for United Soccer League’s Indy Eleven will be the centerpiece of a major neighborhood development in Indianapolis. The development will transform the southwest quadrant of downtown Indianapolis by adding more than 600 apartments, 205,000 sf of office space, 197,000 sf for retail space and restaurants, parking garages, a hotel, and public plazas with green space.
