Kroenke Sports & Entertainment Breaks Ground on HKS-Designed L.A. Stadium

Today, Kroenke Sports and Entertainment breaks ground on the new HKS-designed L.A. Stadium at Hollywood Park. The nearly 3 million-square-foot multipurpose venue will be home to the NFL’s L.A. Rams and is slated to open in 2019. Located on 298 acres and just east of Los Angeles International Airport in Inglewood, California, the stadium is designed to host world-class sporting events and college championships.

The venue will include 70,000 fixed seats, with the flexibility to expand to host more than 100,000 fans. The L.A. Stadium will be the NFL’s newest home and the host for Super Bowl LV in 2021.

“The regional climate and cultural DNA of Southern California and Los Angeles are the foundation of our design,” said HKS principal Mark A. Williams, AIA, LEED AP. “We have crafted a design that is responsive to its site, the community and the global stage of sports and entertainment. We believe this project represents a very important piece of architecture for Southern California and will broaden the fan experience in sports and entertainment venues.”

A perforated, permeable metal ‘skin’ wraps the venue to create an open-air canopy. This curving roof covers much more than the stadium itself, including outdoor ‘rooms’ and plaza spaces that blur the distinction between indoor and outdoor environments. Within the metal perimeter, HKS designed an ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) canopy to enable hosting year-round events while maintaining an outdoor feel. ETFE is a lightweight, transparent roof membrane that will create the atmosphere of an open-air environment while protecting patrons from the elements.

The construction management joint venture of Turner/Hunt will lead the project’s construction and HKS is the architect. Mr. Stan Kroenke is the owner of the Rams.

“From day one, Mr. Kroenke talked to us about his vision to elevate the fan experience,” Williams continued. “He challenged us to create a venue unlike any other in sports that celebrated the NFL’s return to Los Angeles.

HKS, ranked as one of the top sports and entertainment designers by BD World Architecture, has ushered in a new generation of multirevenue-generating, world class facilities. The firm’s portfolio includes U.S. Bank Stadium, AT&T Stadium, Lucas Oil Stadium and major renovations and additions for FedEx Field. These venues are known for enhancing and leveraging team brand, delivering an enhanced fan experience and serving as destination environments. HKS is one of the world’s leading design firms, with offices in 23 cities around the globe. For more information, contact Julie Obiala at [email protected].