It was an exciting moment in the City of Angels last night when the National Football League announced that the St. Louis Rams would be returning to Los Angeles for the 2016 season. It’s been more than two decades since the city was home to a professional football team. In 1994 the then–L.A. Rams were playing before dwindling numbers of fans in Anaheim Stadium, and the franchise left for St. Louis in a bid to stay relevant. Yet, the L.A. Rams new stadium was a shot of adrenaline for the decision, adding weight to the NFL’s choice in moving the team back to Southern California.
The new stadium will be built on the site of the old Hollywood Park racetrack in Inglewood, an area in southwestern Los Angeles. The massive plot of abandoned land bodes well for logistics, as the stadium will be the league’s largest in terms of square feet. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the venue would have a lasting effect, “not just on NFL stadiums and complexes but sports complexes around the world.”
The stadium, estimated at roughly $3 billion, will measure nearly 300 acres, approximately three times the size of the Vatican in Rome. Renderings of the HKS-devised structure show a low-slung building with a glasslike roof that is made of ETFE, a transparent material that can reportedly sustain the weight of a vehicle. What’s more, the stadium design includes open-air sides, allowing breezes to flow through, enhancing the outdoor feel for the 70,240 screaming fans packed into the stands.
The new stadium will feature a glasslike roof.
Just four miles east of LAX airport, the stadium will be part of a larger complex that includes retail space and residential housing. The goal is for the venue to host not only L.A. Rams games but also massive events such as college basketball’s Final Four, the NFL Pro Bowl, and the Super Bowl, as well as conventions and award shows. It’s unclear when construction will begin, but the stadium is expected to be finished in 2019. Until then, the L.A. Rams will likely play at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.