American studio Manica has unveiled a design for a 70,000-seat stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs NFL team, which will be topped by a transparent dome.
The fully enclosed facility, which will replace the team’s famous Arrowhead Stadium, is expected to cost $3 billion and open in 2031. According to Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt, the stadium will be a state-of-the-art facility that aims to replicate the feel, sound and track experience of the existing stadium.
“It’s amazing,” Hunt said. “It honors the rich heritage of this franchise while setting a bold lesson for the future of Chiefs Kingdom.”
“Although we are still finalizing many details, the few we know for sure is that it will hold 70,000 fans, it will still be the best place in the world to track, and the whole building will be built for sound,” he continued.
Unlike Arrowhead Stadium, this facility will be topped with a flexible roof made of 37,000 square meters of EFTE panels designed to “maximize the visibility of military flyovers”.
While closed, the shape of the new stadium evokes the current stadium, with a geometry and shape designed to create a sound environment.
Key Arrowhead features including a “drum deck” and a tribute series at the top of the stage will be incorporated into the design.
Bucking the trend of NFL teams considering urban locations, the Kansas City Chiefs stadium will sit outside the city and be surrounded by parking lots.
These parking spaces will be “specially designed to enhance the browsing experience”.
Manica designs the platform with HNTB as the architect of record. The studios, both based in Kansas City, were selected ahead of a proposal from another Kansas City company, Populous.
“We are very fortunate that Kansas City is home to some of the best sports and entertainment talent, and that has been on full display throughout this program,” said Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan.
“David Manica and the Manica team stood out during a difficult process that took many months, respecting and embracing our history while presenting a strong and powerful vision for the future.”
“It is the honor of a lifetime to be entrusted with designing the next home of the Kansas City Chiefs in our hometown,” added Manica founder David Manica.
“My entire team is committed to building a platform that honors Arrowhead’s legacy, culture, and unparalleled power while reimagining its future,” he continued.
“This stadium is built not only for today’s fans, but for generations of Chiefs Kingdom – a place that shows the passion, pride and endless energy of one of the greatest fans in all of sports.”
Recently, many NFL teams have unveiled new stadiums, including the Washington Commanders, and the Buffalo Bills stadium will open later this year.
Pictures of Manica.