The Rams’ new Inglewood stadium will stand out for the next generation in suite design and center-hung videoboards, free-standing concession stands encased in glass and a food hall open year-round, according to HKS Associate Principal & Senior VP Andy Henning, whose company is serving as the facility’s architect. The premium spaces on the stadium being built on the site of the old Hollywood Park horse track will adapt the look and feel of indoor-outdoor rooms common in Southern California residences. The premium seat offerings include the Lux Cabanas, a California-driven, beach-themed club at field level behind one end zone with seats above the hospitality space. Separately, two Stage Clubs, designed mid-level in the stadium’s corners, will span multiple floors, connected by a grand staircase that projects into the seating bowl. Film studios, modeling agencies and record companies could potentially use those hospitality spaces for release parties, Henning said. In the stadium’s upper corners, the Perch Suites, smaller premium spaces for six to eight people, will be heavy on technology, influenced by the dashboards in luxury automobiles. "Everything will be at your fingertips for control of the digital offerings,” he said. “You can fine-tune the environment to whatever you want.” All told, there will be about a dozen unique club spaces in the nine-level building, some duplicated along both sidelines, extending from field level to the upper concourse. The stadium, with 70,250 fixed seats, is “trending” toward 250 suites and 15,000-20,000 club seats and loge boxes, Henning said. Final numbers have not been determined pending the possibility of a second team joining the Rams in Inglewood.
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| The Stage Clubs will span multiple floors and be connected by a grand staircase |
BIGGER THAN AT AT&T STADIUM: The Rams’ main videoboard takes the next step in stadium center-hung design. Dubbed the “Oculus,” the oval shaped, two-sided structure takes on the look of a monster ribbon board. It’s 50 feet tall, and, at 120 yards long, the board covers the length of the playing field, twice the length of the Cowboys’ center-hung at AT&T Stadium. Video design consultant WJHW and manufacturer Daktronics helped HKS with the design and reviews of the board, which will serve as one of the stadium’s signature features. “It’s an immersive experience,” Henning said. “You will feel like you’re sitting in the videoboard itself.” On the food side, fans in several cases will be able to walk completely around a concession stand encased in glass with chefs operating cooking stations. It is the idea of food consultant John Sergi, who has done work for the U.S. Open tennis tournament, among other sports properties. The food hall concept carries the working title of 365 Experience and is modeled after the popular city market trend with multiple vendors operating under one roof. At the Rams’ facility, the vision is for the food hall to run year-round, to take advantage of foot traffic tied to the mixed-use development planned next to the stadium, as well as visitors taking stadium tours.
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| The "Oculus" will be twice the length of the center-hung scoreboard at AT&T Stadium |
LAUREL CANYONS: The stadium sits in the flight path of Los Angeles Int'l Airport, and to conform with FAA height restrictions, construction will push the playing field 100 feet below ground, about 50 feet deeper than the Cowboys’ venue. As part of the six to eight entrances to the building, HKS is designing “canyons,” which are heavily landscaped spaces tied to the escalators, stairs and ramps that will take fans down into the seating bowl, said HKS Principal & Dir of Business Development Mark Williams. “These are beautifully crafted spaces that people will fall in love with as they begin to see the seating bowl and the field,” Williams said. “It will be an incredible journey through a great Southern California landscaped environment, and all of sudden, you’re 80 to 100 feet below ground.” The stadium’s roof, made of ETFE, a clear plastic material, is similar to the roof at U.S. Bank Stadium, the Vikings’ facility opening in July. In Inglewood, the roof will include a shade component to protect patrons against the sun’s rays while still bringing in some of the cool winds that are part of the regional climate. "It’s a win-win in the greatest climate in the world,” Williams said.
