When Design and Identity Unite

The story coming out of LA is clear. Stadium renderings for the upcoming Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) stadium depict a roof canopy creating intimacy and a cauldron of noise for an intense home-field advantage, an internationally-influenced, closed venue in contrast to the open and airy feel of some MLS stadiums. Closed with one prominent exception.

Sitting in the southwest corner looking northeast is a gap, an intentional frame for direct views, both in person and on television, of downtown Los Angeles, making no mistake that this is the home of LA’s team. It’s a stadium design buttressing a club that LAFC Senior Vice President of Development and Strategic Initiatives Benny Tran calls “the heart of all the different communities in LA.”

Last month, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved final environmental and entitlement agreements for the much anticipated 22,000-seat stadium for LAFC. The conclusion of the 18 months of bureaucratic formalities of public business marks the beginning of the next chapter for the 22nd Major League Soccer franchise that will begin competition in its new privately-financed home in 2018.

With this final round of approvals from the city government, the wind is now at the back of the club and its 27-member ownership group, which includes sports and entertainment stars Magic Johnson, Mia Hamm, and Will Ferrell. LAFC will begin demolition of the old Los Angeles Sports Arena on the existing site this summer, with construction commencing a few months later.

The stadium’s design is the physical manifestation of the LAFC club identity, one that is strongly rooted in pride in the city of Los Angeles and built from input from core supporters.

“The goal is to have supporter groups that are a unified force because they will be the heart and pulse of our club and our stadium,” says Tran. “We got involved early on. And we’ve welcomed everybody.”

Uniting the World’s City through the World’s Game

Los Angeles is one of the most culturally diverse places on the planet. The second largest market in the United States is home to more than 20 ethnic communities that have their largest populations in LA outside of their countries of origin. Its economy is the third largest in the world after New York and Tokyo, spanning urban manufacturing and entertainment. Its geography runs from the Pacific Ocean up to the San Fernando Valley and down into Orange County, with dozens of well-known, distinct, and proud neighborhoods in between. With such a wide and colorful spectrum, it’s no surprise that LAFC’s promise is to “unite the world’s city through the world’s game.”

“LAFC’s promise is at the heart of everything we do as a club,” says Joanne Wong, LAFC’s Executive Vice President of Marketing. “It has resonated with our community of Los Angeles and informs the strategy for how we think about building this club together.”

To help build this movement, LAFC hired LA-based Gensler early on to design a stadium that embodies the growing brand identity and creates a sense of place that’s uniquely LA.

“The notion of sense of place is critical,” says Jonathan Emmett, Principal at Gensler and lead designer for the LAFC project. “Everything about this team identity is based around the notion of being LA’s team, being the heart of the city, and aligning with the identity and culture of the city. That’s where we have taken our starting point in the design process, making sure that we’re creating authentic spaces that tie back to the city and the fans.”

Location, Location, Location

Early success of the stadium design starts with its location. Situated in Exposition Park next to the LA Memorial Coliseum, home of two Olympics, and less than two miles from the now burgeoning downtown, which has emerged as the center of LA, the facility positions the club geographically to make good on its promise to unite the various constituents of LA in an authentic way.

“The biggest thing for our stadium is the location,” says Corey Breton, Executive Vice President of Sales for LAFC. “We’re literally in the heart of the city. Our goal is to fit into the fabric of the city and be authentic to LA.”

Exposition Park is experiencing a larger revitalization that includes the $270 million makeover of the LA Memorial Coliseum (home of USC football), the $250 million construction of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center (with the Endeavour space shuttle standing upright) at the California Science Center, and LAFC’s $250 million stadium build. Using back-of-the-envelope calculations, over three-quarters of a billion dollars is being invested in Exposition Park, which anchors LA’s Figueroa sports corridor that connects the park with STAPLES Center and Dodger Stadium. Other destinations in Exposition Park include the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California African American Museum.

“This [LAFC] building is the icing on the cake for Exposition Park,” says Ron Turner, Principal and Leader of Gensler’s Sports and Convention Centers Practice. “The resurgence of all the museums has been ongoing and is continuing. And the whole revitalization of the Coliseum is another major component.”

“We’re trying to create not only a destination within the city, but a destination within the park as well,” adds Emmett. “Creating a 365-day-a-year venue is critical, as is being a great neighbor and partner to the other institutions that are already in place within the park. Those are all great kickoff points that allow some of the other aspects of the project to succeed.”

Signature Design Elements

The first order of business for the stadium design team was to create an intimate setting that maximizes fan entertainment experiences through the game of soccer, which was accomplished in part by considering global perspectives. The LAFC new build is a combination of European influences and North American models for premium seat experiences.

Fan experiences vary greatly from pitch to roof and include a sunset deck and a field-level seat product, where patrons will have their feet on the grass, emulating the courtside seat product in the NBA. In some locations, seats will be just seven feet away from the goal line. Those soccerhead fans in the mid-levels will enjoy watching play unfold through unparalleled sightlines produced by a steep rake and structure that leans inward towards the pitch.

Another structural achievement is the stadium’s roof canopy, which draws its inspiration from the idea of taking flight that is represented in LAFC’s crest. The “LA” monogram in the crest features a four-blade wing, a tribute to Los Angeles’ nickname “City of Angels.”

“The wing has become a very emblematic component of the logo,” Emmett says. “To have the roof embody those notions of wing and flight is something that we landed on early in the process with the ownership group. It’s a subtle but direct tie back to that notion of the brand.”

Club Space Designs

The influence of crest elements diffused into the interior designs as well. At the field level, Gensler interior designer Elizabeth Pritchett took cues from the team’s black and gold colors, as well as the Art Deco-inspired typeface in the logo to develop the architecture’s aesthetics at the base of the building.

The color and material palates become progressively lighter as fans move up the building, while maintaining a unique look and feel in each space.

“Our approach to designing this facility was to create a diverse portfolio of spaces,” Pritchett summarizes. “We pulled inspiration from the city in the same way that LAFC as an organization was inspired by it. Each of the club spaces reflect the different LA neighborhoods, so it’s varied and tells a clear story.”

It’s a clear story of street culture juxtaposed with LA’s glamour, of soccer-friendly sightlines and literal views of downtown, all next door to the Coliseum’s famous peristyles. It’s a clear story of unification through sport and cultural celebration. It’s a story of the heart of LA.