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July 16, 2009
49ers stadium plan: Soldier Field with plants on top?
The San Francisco 49ers have released some design details of their proposed $937 million Santa Clara stadium, and the news they want everyone to focus on is that it will sport solar panels and plants on the roof, making it the "greenest" NFL stadium ever, according to architects HNTB. Of course, we'll see if those plans survive the inevitable budget pressures: Recall that the New York Jets once planned to put wind turbines atop their planned Manhattan stadium, before ditching them for cost reasons (and ultimately having that stadium plan collapse altogether).
When I see the renderings, meanwhile, my eye goes to the wall of luxury suites that would make up one side of the stadium — they'd be the ones with the roof garden, in fact. I thought that this had gone out of fashion with the nightmare that is the new Soldier Field — and before that, the bad dream that is Philips Arena in Atlanta — both of which showed that people don't really like to watch a sporting event while staring at a giant glassed-in wall. Presumably the lure of jamming in lots of suites while still allowing for lots of high-priced field-level club seats trumped aesthetic concerns — there's a more traditional "green" that stadium designers are concerned about, after all.
Despite that one article it appears the new Soldier Field has been a success for the team and hasn't kept fans away. I doubt this stadium will either, particularly when you look at the stadium they'd be leaving up at Candlestick. Anything is better than that moss covered dilapidated monstrosity.
Posted by Dan on July 16, 2009 11:04 AM
I like the exterior wall that is for "video OR sponsorships." Wonder which one the owners will choose?
Posted by Jimmy P on July 16, 2009 11:28 AM
Solider Field IS a monstrosity...and those of us who live in Chicago KNOW it is a monstrosity...and yet, having attended a couple Bears games (free tickets) in beautiful October no less, the inside of the stadium is FAR better then the previous incarnation.
That said, it still would have made more sense to build a NEW stadium rather then desecrate an existing classic structure...and NOT build a new one at the taxpayer's expense!!!
Posted by Daniel M on July 16, 2009 02:44 PM
Comments on the comments....
Dan: Soldier Field may be a financial success but so were junk bonds way back when and no one thinks those were anything but what the name says.
Dan M: the insides of the new and not so improved SF may be alright, but that really doesn't justify that massive crime against architecture, does it? As to building a new stadium not at taxpayer expense.....lotsa luck on that. Last time they tried that was in Charlotte, and that gave us the unmitigated horror that was (and is) the PSL.
Jimmy: I say sponsorship videos. Yeah, I know, don't give the rich bastards any more ideas....
Posted by Marty on July 16, 2009 02:56 PM
Admittedly, the exterior of the new Soldier Field is an abomination. No debate there.
But inside, it's a great place to watch a game. It's the wall of luxury suites that help make it so. All 5 tiers of luxury boxes are ABOVE the seating levels (3 decks on that side, 4 on the opposite side with no suites), making the average view for Joe Paying Customer that much better.
So many of the new stadiums have the suites at mid-level, pushing the upper decks to ridiculous heights. Even the worst seats at SF aren't that high or far away.
Lambeau has the same idea, but they really didn't have much choice.
Posted by Mark on July 17, 2009 06:46 PM
And ... no one has mentioned that the stadium WILL NOT have PARKING!!! What a joke the whole plan is! Wonder how much Mahan is making on this deal? Or what promises have been made to the other stooges on the council and in city government that are going along with, and encouraging this public raping!
If this is such a great deal ... 49ers ... pay for it YOURSELF!! The City of Santa Clara has NO BUSINESS owning and/or running a stadium. And, managing parking too!?!? Does everyone know that parking WILL BE a 15-minute walk from the stadium. No kidding ... there is NO ROOM for parking! City expects that the local businesses will allow the city to rent out their parking ... and these businesses CANNOT do it themselves - some hidden law. The City has already built other areas with insufficient parking ... let's not go through that hell again! Like Mercado! Like the Convention Center! Oh the Convention Center ... where are delegates going to park when there is a football game?? And, don't forget that Tasman will be CLOSED too.
This whole plan is a nightmare ... and this is what we KNOW ... what do we NOT know that is still hidden? It is riddled with lies ... half-truths ... missing data (like the actual COSTS). No one wants to answer the tough questions ... come on people - wake up before you find yourself tin-cupping for city services.
Go away 49ers! Go back to San Francisco where you belong!
Posted by DJ on August 9, 2009 08:12 AM