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Projects   Project Portfolio – November 2006
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University of Phoenix Stadium

Glendale, Arizona
Eisenman Architects

In the Valley of the Sun, Eisenman Architects and HOK Sport create a shimmering desert nest for the Arizona Cardinals and their flock of fans 

 


Photo © Arizona Cardinals
   

By Joann Gonchar, AIA

In the otherwise parched landscape of the so-called Valley of the Sun, the shimmering new stadium for the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals rises from the incongruously lush farmlands immediately surrounding it like a strange but pleasing apparition. Chameleonlike, the building’s double-curved steel cladding reflects light differently throughout the day. At night, the stadium seems to phosphoresce, glowing from within through its 21 glazed slots, or “canyons.”

The form, spiraling and segmented, was inspired by barrel cacti indigenous to the Arizona desert, and Native American symbols, such as the coiled snake and the Mandala, says design architect Peter Eisenman, FAIA, who has been an avid football fan since his undergraduate days, when he was a cheerleader at Cornell. But, in addition to an exterior that is surprisingly bold for a U.S. professional sports facility, the $450 million stadium has several attention-grabbing high-tech features. The natural turf field, contained in a gigantic “cake tray,” can be rolled out of the building through an opening beyond the south end zone. The arrangement ensures sufficient sunlight for the grass, and also provides a suitable floor surface for events like concerts and conventions. It is the first of its kind in North America.

The other impressive moving part is the retractable roof. Since the Cardinals’ move from St. Louis in 1988, the team had played under the brutal sun in an open-air stadium in Tempe, Arizona, where it was plagued by poor attendance, especially at early season games. But now, spectators can watch the game in shaded air-conditioned comfort.

Access to the action on the field drove the configuration of the four reinforced-concrete concourses—one each for upper and lower seating bowls, and two in between serving suites and other “premium seating.” These concourses and the many concessions are not closed off in a traditional stadium vomitory. Although the game is not visible from all vantages, fans can, at minimum, see and hear the response of the crowd.

With 63,000 seats, and the potential to add 10,000 more for events like the Fiesta and Super Bowls, circulation was a chief planning issue. To make vertical circulation as efficient, contractors used excavation soil to build up the site around the stadium, allowing the field to be depressed 36 feet below grade and the main concourse. About 40 percent of the spectators descend after entering to seats in the lower bowl.

Want the full story? Read the entire article in our November 2006 issue.
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the People

Owner
Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Sports & Tourism Authority

Design Architect
 Eisenman Architects
41 West 25th Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10010
Tel: 212.645.1400
Fax: 212.645.0726
www.eisenmanarchitects.com

Facility Architect
 HOK Sport
300 Wyandotte, Suite 300
Kansas City, Missouri 64105
Tel: (816) 221-1500
Fax: (816) 221 1578
www.hoksve.com

Design Principal:
Peter Eisenman, FAIA

Project Architect:
Richard Rosson, AIA

Project Designers:
 Marta Caldeira, Pablo Lorenzo-Eiroa

HOK Sport:
Principal In Charge:
Dennis Wellner, AIA

Project Architect:
Jeff Spear, AIA

Project Manager:
Jack Boyle, AIA

 

Consultants
Environmental Graphic:
Pentagram Design
www.pentagram.com

Design and Interiors:
 Entro Communications
www.entro.com

Project Management:
 Land Strategies
www.landstrategiesinc.com/

N. W. Getz & Associates
www.nwgetz.com/

Columbus Consulting
www.columbusconsultinginc.com

 

Engineers
Structural Roof Engineer:
Walter P. Moore
www.walterpmoore.com/

Structural Frame Engineer:
TLCP
www.tlcp-structural.com/

Mechanical / Electrical Engineer:
M-E Engineers
www.me-engineers.com/

Food Service Design:
Cini-Little
www.cinilittle.com/

Geotechnical Engineer:
GEC
www.geconsultants.com

Playing Field:
CMX Sports Engineers
www.cmxsportsengineers.com/

Civil Engineer:
Evans, Kuhn and Associates

Electrical Engineer:
CR Engineers

Civil Engineer:
MX Sports Engineers, Inc.
www.cmxsportsengineers.com/

Bridge Engineer:
Stanley Consultants
www.stanleyconsultants.com

Code Consultant:
FSC

General contractor:
Hunt Construction Group
www.huntconstructiongroup.com/

Photographer
 David Sundberg/Esto
Roland Halbe

Renderer
Dbox
www.dbox.com

CAD system, project management, or other software used:
 AutoCAD
www.autodesk.com

Rhino
www.rhino3d.com

Microsoft Office
www.microsoft.com

the Products

Structural Concrete:
Kiewit Western
www.kiewit.com

Precast Concrete:
Kiewit Western
www.kiewit.com

Exterior Enclosure:
Crown Corr
www.crowncorr.com/

Structural Steel:
Schuff Steel
www.schuff.com

Structural Roof Lift:
Mammoet
www.mammoet.com/

Roof & Field Mechanization:
Uni-Systems
www.uni-systems.com

HVAC & Plumbing:
TD Industries
www.tdindustries.com

Electrical:
Cannon & Wendt
www.cannon-wendt.com

Fire Protection:
Aero Automatic
www.aerofire.com

Scoreboards:
Daktronics
www.daktronics.com

Audio / Visual Systems:
Pro Sound
www.prosound.com

Telecommunications:
Insight
www.rcnmail.com

Stadium Seating:
Irwin Seating
www.irwinseating.com

Playing Field:
Valley Crest
www.irwinseating.com

Elevators / Escalators: 
 Kone
www.kone.com

Fabric Roof:
Taiyo Birdair
www.taiyobirdair.com/

Masonry:
Sun Valley
www.svmasonry.com

Steel Stairs & Railings:
Southwest Stair

Metal Framing / Drywall:
AROK
www.arokteam.com/

Graphics:
Fluoresco
www.fluoresco.com

GM Nameplate
www.gmnameplate.com

Food Service Equipment:
Baring
www.baring.com

Interiors:
ISEC
www.isecinc.com

Furniture:
Facilitec
www.facilitec-usa.com

Grading & Paving:
Markham Construction

Electrical
Kimbrell Electric
www.kimbrellelectric.com

Plaza Concrete
Concrete Finishing

Site Concrete
RBG Construction
www.rbgconstruction.com

Storm Drainage
C S & W Construction

95th Ave Bridges
CS Construction
www.csconst.com/

Landscaping
Valley Crest
www.valleycrest.com

Graphics:
Fluoresco
www.fluoresco.com

Water Feature:
Aquatec Fountains
www.aquatecfountains.com
 
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