Stadium Central

I might make the argument that the most groundbreaking stadium in recent years is the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, AZ. The reason that I bring up this point is that the Cardinals' stadium was one of the first to make a keen attempt to hide the fact that the the stadium interior consisted of decks of seats. The facade of the University of Phoenix is a key architectural and artistic element that hides the innards of the facility. I thought of this point while watching a special on the new Dallas Cowboys stadium that contrasted it to the current Texas Stadium. Obviously, there are many differences between the stadia. One of the key ones mentioned in that program was the fact that the upper decks are visible from the exterior, while the new stadium will be covered in metal panels that hide those features. This same approach has been included in some of the more recent substantial stadium projects, including the new Wembley Stadium, the Birds Nest in Beijing, FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, and the new Meadowlands Stadium. Stadia, particularly those meant for football and soccer, are moving away from classic utilitarian looks to make architectural statements. Purists can still look to the continuing classic features of baseball stadia, though one might argue that the new Yankee Stadium also finds a way to hide the fact that the interior holds 50,000 seats.