New designs and major renovations of college stadiums and arenas are taking inspiration from the pros in seating arrangements and amenities.
“Our research shows that fans want a new game-day experience,” says Sherri Privitera, NCARB, LEED AP, Principal with Populous. “It’s no longer as simple as providing fans a seat, a hot dog, and a soda.”
Game attendance at some major universities has declined in recent years. Stadium renovations are a big part of the strategy to win fans back.
Luxury boxes, club seating, and a wider variety of food and drink options are musts. When Baylor University fans expressed interest in making it easier to bring children to football games, the school added a stroller check, new family-friendly restrooms with diaper-changing counters, and stools to make it easier for toddlers to access sinks, says Privitera.
Training facilities are also getting nutrition stations, meeting rooms replete with the latest technology, and cushy lounges, all aimed at providing what athletes need to reduce their need to travel around campus. “Players are there for a certain number of hours, and efficient use of their time is so important,” says Fred Ortiz, AIA, Principal and Director of East Coast Sports & Entertainment with HKS.
ALSO SEE: BD+C Giants 300 sports rankings
Top 40 sports architecture firms
Top 20 sports engineering firms
Top 50 sports construction firms
Training facilities are dedicating space to academic study and tutoring. “It’s very much like planning an office project,” says Ortiz. Features include movable partitions and seating, projection screens, flexible-height computer screens, and extensive daylighting.
All these efforts are designed to wow prospective student-athletes, Ortiz says. In most cases, the university does not subsidize these improvements, Privitera says. Instead, bonds backed by alumni donations and revenue from ticket sales and premium amenities foot the bill.
SEE ALL 2017 GIANTS 300 RANKINGS
Related Stories
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jun 15, 2020
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has its own brewery, Europe’s longest bar
Populous designed the project.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | May 19, 2020
Projection mapping takes center court
Audiovisual systems that turn sports arenas into digital canvasses have become key elements of venue design.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | May 1, 2020
DLR Group completes LA Memorial Coliseum Renovation
The work finished prior to the 2019 USC season.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Apr 27, 2020
Erudite eSports: Colleges build their very own eSports arenas
Universities are building dedicated spaces for eSport athletes to pick up the sticks.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Feb 27, 2020
Disney to develop private island destination in The Bahamas
This will be Disney’s second private island retreat.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Feb 25, 2020
The world’s largest cricket stadium opens
Populous designed the project.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Feb 6, 2020
Europe’s first LEGOLAND Water Park is set to open
The water park will be part of Italy’s Gardaland Theme Park in Gardaland, Italy.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jan 20, 2020
Construction begins on $1.8 billion addition to the Washington State Convention Center
LMN Architects designed the project.
GIANTS 19 PREMIUM | Dec 23, 2019
Top 65 Sports Facilities Engineering Firms for 2019
Walter P Moore, Kimley-Horn, ME Engineers, Thornton Tomasetti, and EXP head the rankings of the nation's largest sports facilities sector engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
GIANTS 19 PREMIUM | Dec 23, 2019
Top 90 Sports Facilities Architecture Firms for 2019
Populous, HKS, HOK, Gensler, and HNTB top the rankings of the nation's largest sports facilities sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
