9 stadia

XREF 2014 >>>

STADIA

XREF 2014 >>>

STADIA

WHY STADIUMS >>>

STADIUMS ARE AN INCREDIBLY UNIQUE AND HIGHLY SPECIALIZED PIECE OF ARCHITECTURE IN WHICH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COME TOGETHER EVERY WEEK, UNITED BY COMMON PURPOSE. THE STADIUM IS A BUILDING TYPE WITH ITS ORIGINS IN ANCIENT ROME AND REFINED OVER TWO MILLENNIA. THEY HAVE BECOME THE CATHEDRALS OF THE MODERN ERA, HUGE SHRINES ERECTED FOR THE GLORY OF SPORT AND AS ICONS OF THE CITIES AND PEOPLE THAT BUILD THEM

WHY ENGLISH FOOTBALL >>>

ENGLAND IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL (SOCCER), WHOSE RULES WERE FIRST ESTABLISHED 150 YEARS AGO IN 19TH CENTURY BRITAIN. FOOTBALL HAS BEEN WIDELY REGARDED AS THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR SPORT WITH AN ESTIMATED 250 MILLION PLAYERS AND 1.3 BILLION FANS. BUT I HAVE NOT CHOSEN ENGLISH FOOTBALL FOR ITS HISTORY NOR ITS POPULARITY THE REAL REASON IS MUCH MORE SIMPLE...

BECAUSE IT IS A LEAGUE IN WHICH THIS TEAM...

ARSENAL FC

EMIRATES STADIUM

CAPACITY: 60,000 COMPLETED: 2006 CLUB INCOME: $526 MILLION

...COMPETES AGAINST THIS TEAM

QUEENS PARK RANGERS

LOFTUS ROAD

CAPACITY: 18,400 OPENED: 1904 CLUB INCOME: $-23 MILLION

AND A CULTURE IN WHICH THIS STADIUM...

... HAS EVOLVED INTO THIS STADIUM

MANCHESTER UNITED

OLD TRAFFORD

CAPACITY: 75,635 FIRST OPENED: 1910 CLUB INCOME: $681 MILLION

WHY ENGLISH FOOTBALL >>> ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

t OLD TRAFFORD

80,000

LARGE NFL STADIUMS TYPICAL VARIETY

MANCHESTER UNITED

AVERAGE STADIUM AGE

83 YEARS OLD SMALLEST STADIUM

18,439

t EMIRATES STADIUM ARSENAL FC

t ETIHAD STADIUM

LARGEST STADIUM

75,635

LARGEST / SMALLEST

+/- 410 %

MANCHESTER CITY

t ST JAMES’ PARK NEW CASTLE UNITED

OLD 1880 t ANFIELD t STAMFORD BRIDGE

t

LIVERPOOL FC

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

2010 STADIUM OF LIGHT

NEW

SUNDERLAND FC

CHELSEA FC

AVERAGE STADIUM AGE

21 YEARS OLD

t ST MARY’S STADIUM

SMALLEST STADIUM

LARGEST STADIUM

80,566

LARGEST / SMALLEST

+/- 158 %

t SELHURST PARK CRYSTAL PALACE

t THE HAWTHORNS

WEST BROMWICH ALBION

20,000

50,805

SOUTHAMPTON FC

SMALL

t REEBOK STADIUM BOLTON WANDERERS

t LIBERTY STADIUM SWANSEA CITY

THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE OFFERS AN ASTONISHING VARIETY IN STADIUM DESIGN, LEGACIES AND CAPACITIES. SOME TEAMS HAVE BEEN PLAYING IN THE SAME STADIUM FOR OVER 130 YEARS, EVOLVING THROUGH COUNTLESS RENOVATIONS AND ADDITIONS. OTHERS HAVE BUILT BRAND NEW STADIUMS, SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON STATE OF THE ART FACILITIES. THIS PROVIDES AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY AN ENORMOUS VARIETY OF STADIUM DESIGNS AND FAN EXPERIENCES

LOGISTICS >>> THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE PROVIDES AN IDEAL OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE AS MANY STADIUMS AS POSSIBLE DUE TO THE GEOGRAPHIC DENSITY OF ITS TEAMS

COMPARED TO THAT OF AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAMS THAT ARE OFTEN SEPARATED BY HUNDREDS OF MILES

IT IS REASONABLY POSSIBLE TO VISIT EVERY STADIUM IN THE LEAGUE IN A ONE WEEK PERIOD, WHILE THE SEASON SCHEDULE COULD ALLOW FOR ATTENDING SIX OR MORE MATCHES OVER TWO WEEKENDS TO DOCUMENT THE VIEWER EXPERIENCE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

ENGLAND, UK:

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

20 TEAMS

58,000 SQ MI

32 TEAMS

3.79 MILLION SQ MI

DOCUMENTATION >>> DOCUMENTATION OF THE TRIP WILL BE BROAD AND TAKE ON A VARIETY OF FORMS AND MEDIA. THINGS I PLAN TO BRING BACK WITH ME INCLUDE: PHOTOS VIDEOS SKETCHES DIAGRAMS JOURNAL ENTRIES STRUCTURAL STRATEGIES & SYSTEMS URBANISTIC IDEAS ABOUT STADIUMS IN CITIES A NEW UNDERSTANDING ON RENOVATION AND REUSE A BRAND NEW OUTLOOK ON THE FAN EXPERIENCE AND STADIUM DESIGN

>>> XREF 2014

STADIA