Columbus Crew Stadium was the first MLS Stadium. The Home Depot was the first one with European styling, and Bridgeview became the first one that seems to have a real character to the stadium. Would any team consider building a "stand" stadium, like is common in the home nations? The cost would appear to me to be cheaper, an important factor, and the place would have character. The lost seats in the corner would be no big deal - though the need for a stage might be a problem. Thoughts?
Do you mean a stadium with a standing section? I doubt that any new stadium will ever have one. If i recall correctly, those sorts of stadiums are going away in Europe. Too unsafe.
No, sorry. I meant a stadium that is constructed through the use of four "stands" of seats, rather than one single structure. Examples:
National Soccer Stadium, being built for Toronto FC: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/71/Exhibition1.jpg
Probably not practical in the US, but... It works for Vanderbilt Basketball...big time! Best place to see a college game.
That's Canadian Rules Soccer. The field is a square and has 2 centre circles. There's also a 55-yardline somewhere on the pitch, though no-one quite knows where or what purpose it serves.
This is incorrect. This is the original rendering for the Toronto stadium, before MLSE was involved. The new rendering looks far different from this one.
I have advocated for that approach, as well... historically, clubs in Europe have built one stand at a time (as needed to meet attendence)... This would be ideal if a team were building its own stadium (this is basically how the silverbacks are doing things, for example)... however, most of the stadiums now are being "sold" as a finished design, requesting some public money (which would be hard to do for a partial project)... also, if you know that you are going to build the whole thing, it probably is a little cheaper to build the whole thing at once, since you don't have to restart the construction project (equipment, material and workers are already onsite)... rand
In a sense that's true, but that doesn't mean the design has been used in comprehensive modern designs. Utrecht's example below is a stand design, albiet a modern one. Cardiff City's new proposal is also a variation of the stand design. as is Panthiakos's new stadium. Portsmouth's replacement for Fratten Park might be an off example, as its design is clearly to imitate the condemned field. The New Valley as well:
Oh! That sort of stadium i can easily see being built, especially amongst the smaller clubs, such as those in the USL. A club can start with one stand along a sideline and another behind an endline. If the demand for new seats arises, the club can just build another endline stand, and another one across the field when the club can afford it. That would make a lot of financial sense. A club wouldn't have to borrow so much money all at once.
I'm not sure why the 4-stand approach wouldn't work. Perhaps this would be not be quite "Major League" enough, but if one end zone stand had bleacher seating that could be retracted/pushed in (see something similar to college/high school basketball gyms), then there would be plenty of space for a stage. Plus, there's a good excuse to build a roof on atleast one end.
you're right but it's still stand based.... correct me if i'm wrong if this isn't the current rendering:
Every time I see the Toronto renderings I think PAETEK Park. BTW The New Valley at Charlton which is shown higher up the page was actually rebuilt one stand at a time in the old fashioned way.
Except that our seats will spell out "TORONTO" on one side and have a giant maple leaf on the other. You heard it here first
Roofs are essential for future MLS stadiums. I wish Chicago Fire fans would get their chit together and go to their new stadium in bigger numbers.
A plastic/nylon "roof" could look a lot like the roof at the HDC, and, other than some shot from a blimp, the cameras would be under the roof, pointed at the field. Crowd shots have to pan pretty high up from the field to include the roof.
This is the exact approach I have been advocating for some time... and this these ugly new SSSs are actually wasting money and taking a small step forward... and hampering development going forward... the "stand" method also allows you to tear down and errect a new stand to gradually increase... whereas in places like Columbus they used oinly the bottom level... as if theyre suddenly going to be able to expand, and build huge stads up above those area... the "stand" method also covers and protects the fans from the harsh elements which we see on chilly spring and fall outings... or which might otherwise hamper a summer outing... the Revs are suggesting theyre looking to build a new stadium... and I have been advocating such a stadium... and suggested locations similar to the clubs in Europe... located right in the downtown area... in response... I was soundly thrashed by the Midnight Riders supporters... who already think differently... and when I responded back with my criticisms of their views... I have now been banned from the NE Revolution supporter board as a result... and the cowards are still there making comments behind my back knowing they have had me suspended... I agree this is the approach we need to take... and we should be pushing hard for it... and not acting like **************... and actually working as hard as we can to push for and not against these downtown locations... with stadiums built in the "stand" method... if that's what we are calling it... those stadiums in LA, DAL, CHI, COL... as just as wide open and lacking the intimate atmosphere required for such a small and struggling league... and theyre often built so far out away from the largest areas of residency... that only those diehard fans, and soccer mom SUV owners drive out to those games... we need to build em right in the heart of the city, where the people live, and where they can easily commute to... taking advantage of Public Transportation... if it exists in the area... P.S. another aspect of stadium design which I think MLS needs to mimic is that of not having uniform colored seats... or something written in the stands... since people sit on them and its not seen during a game anyway... what we need to do is use multple color randomly placed seats... so even when there are not people sitting in them, because of the different color changes, it looks like there are people there... which will help make these stadiums, which rarely see a full attendance, actually appear to be more full than they actually are...
Please explain this further, I don't quite understand what you're trying to say (???). -- there are clearly 2 upper levels on either side of the field -- Some stadiums are in the "heart" of their cities. Columbus Crew stadium is about 2 miles from downtown Columbus and less than a mile form OSU campus, where as Toronto FC's stadium is located very close to downtown TO at Exhibition Place. Toronto FC, looking towards downtown TO.
Close to main areas of population is the best place to build stadiums in order to get more fans into them. The problem is these areas tend to have much higher land prices.