Musings on Sports Architecture
Published: March 29, 2021
It is no small secret that the Sports + Entertainment side of Architecture is where my heart lies. Here, I have compiled my shower thoughts and beliefs on this topic.
Finding an Alley for Creativity
I recognize that the Sports + Entertainment Practice is formulaic in addressing the ‘bones and tendons’ of these sporting structures. Creativity is sprinkled in between the confining restraints of these project types. Stadiums stand out from the pack through the efforts of branding a venue for its team and host city, creating new bowl layouts to increase experience, or most importantly, applying a performative façade that helps the structure transition with differing weather and sports.
In this same ilk, my Thesis project is a Scientific Facility at the South Pole in Antarctica. Here, environmental, logistical, and constructability constraints present such a narrow lane to express architectural creativity. I enjoy this challenge however.
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Stadiums as the Roman Colosseum of Modernity?
It is the easy to say that the sporting stadium, arena, or venue is the modern-day equivalent of the Roman Colosseum—yet this is not entirely true.
Yes, it still illustrates the most distilled form of entertainment and athleticism a city has to offer.
BUT, it is also a recreation of the Roman Forum, where the commercial ventures and cultural identity of a city is embodied.
It is the revival of a Roman cathedral, where a devout follower prays to their own personal religion—sports.
Stadiums as a Cultural Rallying Cry — Embodiement of the American Dream
Sporting venues, more so than any other form of architecture, are the physical embodiment of the American Dream.
It is a palace and battleground for athletes, whose combination of natural talent and hard-nosed work ethic can carry them as far as they can dream.
No matter their hometown or rung on the social ladder, creed or color, or beliefs, players can attain anything through hard work.