Mercedes-Benz Stadium is destined to become one of the best and most visually striking stadiums in sports when it finally opens. When the stadium will open, however, is starting to become a talking point, as the date has been pushed back again to Aug. 26.
The $1.6 billion-stadium, designed by HOK, was originally planned to open on March 1, 2017. Since that time the opening has been delayed three times to June 1, 2017, then to July 30, 2017, and more recently (and hopefully finally) to Aug. 26, 2017.
Originally, it was thought the delays were related to issues with getting the unique retractable roof to work correctly. While retractable roofs aren’t new to sports stadiums, most slide open like a large garage door. The roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium takes a more complicated approach and opens in a circular motion, more closely resembling a blooming flower than a garage door.
Steve Cannon, CEO of AMB Group, the stadium’s owner, addressed concerns about the roof in a statement after the most recent delay. “No concerns about the operability of the roof have ever been expressed to us by the design or construction teams,” Cannon said in the statement.
Cannon went on to explain the reason for the delays. “Normal surveying and analysis of the roof structure, as well as steelwork in the roof, have both taken longer than planned. Those two things have had a cascading effect on overall workflows related to the roof, and that is the reason for the new timeline.”
The 71,000-seat stadium will be home to the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta United. It will also host the NCAA Peach Bowl and the Celebration Bowl. The stadium will host Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3, 2019.
HOK collaborated on the design with tvsdesign, Goode Van Slyke Architecture, and Stanley Beaman & Sears. BuroHappold Engineering and Hoberman Associates handled structural engineer duties for the project.
Related Stories
Designers | Jul 29, 2024
Inclusive design for locker rooms: Providing equitable choice and access
SRG designers pose the question: What would it look like if everyone who wanted to use a restroom or locker room could?
Great Solutions | Jul 23, 2024
41 Great Solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors
AI ChatBots, ambient computing, floating MRIs, low-carbon cement, sunshine on demand, next-generation top-down construction. These and 35 other innovations make up our 2024 Great Solutions Report, which highlights fresh ideas and innovations from leading architecture, engineering, and construction firms.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jul 15, 2024
Smart stadiums: The future of sports and entertainment venues
These digitally-enhanced and connected spaces are designed to revolutionize the fan experience, enhance safety, and optimize operational efficiency, according to SSR's Will Maxwell, Smart Building Consultant.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | May 23, 2024
The Cincinnati Open will undergo a campus-wide renovation ahead of the expanded 2025 tournament
One of the longest-running tennis tournaments in the country, the Cincinnati Open will add a 2,000-seat stadium, new courts and player center, and more greenspace to create a park-like atmosphere.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Apr 25, 2024
How pools can positively affect communities
Clark Nexsen senior architects Jennifer Heintz and Dorothea Schulz discuss how pools can create jobs, break down barriers, and create opportunities within communities.
Mixed-Use | Apr 9, 2024
A surging master-planned community in Utah gets its own entertainment district
Since its construction began two decades ago, Daybreak, the 4,100-acre master-planned community in South Jordan, Utah, has been a catalyst and model for regional growth. The latest addition is a 200-acre mixed-use entertainment district that will serve as a walkable and bikeable neighborhood within the community, anchored by a minor-league baseball park and a cinema/entertainment complex.
Cultural Facilities | Apr 8, 2024
Multipurpose sports facility will be first completed building at Obama Presidential Center
When it opens in late 2025, the Home Court will be the first completed space on the Obama Presidential Center campus in Chicago. Located on the southwest corner of the 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, the Home Court will be the largest gathering space on the campus. Renderings recently have been released of the 45,000-sf multipurpose sports facility and events space designed by Moody Nolan.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Apr 2, 2024
How university rec centers are evolving to support wellbeing
In a LinkedIn Live, Recreation & Wellbeing’s Sadat Khan and Abby Diehl joined HOK architect Emily Ostertag to discuss the growing trend to design and program rec centers to support mental wellbeing and holistic health.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Mar 14, 2024
First-of-its-kind sports and rehabilitation clinic combines training gym and healing spa
Parker Performance Institute in Frisco, Texas, is billed as a first-of-its-kind sports and rehabilitation clinic where students, specialized clinicians, and chiropractic professionals apply neuroscience to physical rehabilitation.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Mar 7, 2024
Bjarke Ingels’ design for the Oakland A’s new Las Vegas ballpark resembles ‘a spherical armadillo’
Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) in collaboration with HNTB, the new ballpark for the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team will be located on the Las Vegas Strip and offer panoramic views of the city skyline. The 33,000-capacity covered, climate-controlled stadium will sit on nine acres on Las Vegas Boulevard.