Architecture firm Gensler released new designs for Downtown's proposed Farmers Field NFL stadium today and they're a bit of a departure from Version 1.0. Here we have an "airy," wing-like structure (or a football stadium outfitted with shoulder pads) in which the permanent roof has been replaced with a temporary crown that can be installed when inclement weather demands it. "The roof at Farmers Field 'doesn't need to open and close within minutes,'" Gensler lead architect Ron Turner said, according to blogdowntown, which adds that "the [design] team is 'extremely intrigued' by the concept of a roof that would be created out of inflated air chambers." Turner told the LA Times that he wants the stadium to be a symbol of LA. The actual playing field will be 40 feet below street level, so the building can have a more seamless relationship with the nearby structures and destinations of LA Live, i.e. the stadium will feel less like a floating airship above all the other attractions. To complement that idea, two levels of the stadium's meeting and suite space will connect directly to the new wing of the Convention Center that's also being built as part of the project. As far as views, the north end will be quite open and provide nice views of the skyline, according to Gensler. Developer AEG still hopes to break ground next year.
· New Light and Airy Design for Farmers Field [blogdowntown]
· AEG Reveals New Designs for Farmers Field [LA Times]
· Farmers Field Archives [Curbed LA]
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