POPULOUS Redefining Architectural Design for Stadiums and Arenas

Images: Edward Hill & Fulham FC / Rex Shutterstock

Populous, a global architecture and design practice, specialises in the design and delivery of stadiums, arenas, performance venues, and major live events. The company has a track record of over 3,000 projects worldwide, including iconic venues such as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Yankee Stadium, event overlay for every Super Bowl since 1985, and the Stadium Australia, built for the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

A Comprehensive Design Approach

Populous takes a holistic design approach, offering a range of services and sub-brands to provide an end-to-end experience for clients. “Our practice is designed to provide a depth of expertise and services within the defined space of sports, entertainment, public assembly, and major events,” explains Christopher Lee, Populous’ Managing Director for the EMEA region. “We’re not a general architecture practice with a sports department.”

With over 800 dedicated experts working across 25 studios worldwide, Populous covers various disciplines, including architecture, interior design, urban design, master planning, landscape architecture, brand activation, and wayfinding. To complement its core design services and expand its portfolio of client services, Populous incorporates a number of partner companies: Populous Consulting, led by Diarmuid Crowley, provides a comprehensive, design-led business planning service, focusing on revenue-generating opportunities for clients. Experience Studios, led by Mark Murphy and Kevin Luckhurst, specialises in experiential engineering services, including acoustic design, audio-visual design, and broadcast services. Jump Studios, an awardwinning interior design practice, brings expertise in creating remarkable interior spaces for sports, entertainment, bars, restaurants, and hospitality.

Showcasing Innovation

Populous is currently involved in numerous iconic and exciting projects worldwide. In the UK, the company has created the new Riverside Stand at Craven Cottage for Fulham FC, with a ground-breaking design that subverts the traditional conventions of stadium hospitality. The stand offers a unique experience overlooking the River Thames, and features a range of facilities that create a unique user experience and maximise revenue all year-round. These include shops, restaurants, bars, conference and event spaces, a boutique hotel, and a health club with a rooftop pool. Another notable project nearing completion is the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. Designed to provide the best live music experience, the venue features a tight seating bowl with steeply raked tiers and a large standing floor area, creating an intimate nightclub-like atmosphere. The space’s geometry has been carefully shaped and treated to control sound reflections and optimise acoustics, resulting in an exceptional listening environment. With a capacity of 23,500, Co-op Live will be the largest arena in the UK when it opens. Lee adds: “As well as these incredible UK venues, we have a global portfolio of extremely exciting projects we are currently working on, from the new Buffalo Bills NFL stadium in the US to the Kai Tak Stadium and Sports park in Hong Kong. This enables us to draw on resource and expertise from across the world to service our clients’ needs.”

Sustainability as a Fundamental Component

“Given the scale and visibility of many of our projects, our commitment at Populous to environmentally sustainable design is crucial and non-negotiable. There’s not a single project currently on our books for which sustainability isn’t a fundamental component of the brief, reflecting the attitudes and expectation of our clients, the industry and society at large,” explains Lee. Populous recently worked on Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, which is the first net zero-certified arena in the world, as well as being involved in the creation of Co-op Live, Europe’s most sustainable arena.

Designing for Gender Equity

With the ongoing rise of women’s sport, there is an increasing focus on gender-equitable stadium design. Populous leverages its experience from the US and Australia, where they have worked on a wide range of collegiate and professional women’s sports projects. The challenge for stadium and arena designers lies in creating spaces that cater to a new audience.

“Equitable facilities need to be about more than hitting minimums – we need to think of intentional family and female-first design,” says Lee.

The Role of Digital Integration

In today’s technology-driven world, digital integration is key to stadium and arena design. Populous recognises the opportunity to enhance the live experience for fans and spectators by integrating digital content seamlessly. Instant replays, player heart rates, and match statistics are just a few examples of the digital elements that can be incorporated to augment the live experience. There is an excitement about the possibilities of augmented reality, too, and how wearable technology has evolved to a point where it can be seamlessly integrated into the live experience, blurring the lines between physical and digital interactions.

The Future of Stadium and Arena Design

Looking ahead, Populous recognise that sustainability and digital integration are key areas for development and innovation in stadium and arena design, as well as the continued evolution of multi-use venues. Single-use venues are becoming less viable due to environmental, financial, and experiential reasons.

“I think we will see an increasing number of facilities integrating retractable pitches and roofs into their stadiums, like we have at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and looking for new and clever ways to utilise existing space to host a broader range of events,” Lee explains. “Arenas will continue to evolve to become more complete destinations with bars and restaurants within the building itself that draw people to the venue earlier and provide somewhere for them to gather after events. It’s an incredibly exciting time for the industry.”