As the World Cup showcases some of the world’s most advanced stadiums, the role of commercial glazing and structural glass may be increasingly considered by architects for transforming venues in the UK or building entirely new stadiums.
For billions of people, the World Cup is all about the football itself. Their concern will be far more about the goals Messi, Ronaldo or Kane will score, rather than the stadium architecture.
However, those watching in the stadiums rather than on TV may feel a bit differently, as they will have seen them close up and used the facilities. Architects, especially those designing new stands or whole stadiums over here, may have a lot of food for thought.
Why Is The SoFI Stadium So Exceptional?
Among those that particularly stand out is the extraordinary SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles;
- At a reported construction cost of $5.5 billion (£4.2 billion), it is believed to be the most expensive stadium in the world
- Its capacity for the World Cup is 70,000, but for other events it can be extended to 100,000
- It has a 120-yard video screen that curves around above the pitch, suspended from the roof
- It incorporates a larger entertainment complex, with internal features including a 6,000-seat indoor performance venue
Apart from these extraordinary numbers, it has a huge visual impact that has cemented its position as an iconic venue at the heart of the Inglewood entertainment district.
What is also notable about this stadium, especially for architects, is the large amount of glass involved in it, especially as this is widely seen as a standard-setter for other venues.
How Is Glass Used In The SoFi Stadium?
Among the major glass elements of the venue are:
- 14 miles of fabricated glass railings
- The extensive use of smart glass, which can transform from transparent to frosted at the touch of a button
- Internal glazing throughout the interior, ensuring clear views of the pitch even from the concourses
The use of internal glass may be of particular importance at a venue which is as much an entertainment complex as a stadium.
Among other benefits, it means that from the perspective of the paying public, the stadium is more than just seated areas facing the pitch plus concourses that have the purely functional purpose of providing toilet and refreshment facilities during intervals.
How Is Structural Glass Used In The Most Advanced British Stadiums?
An important question is whether this is something that is and will remain largely unique to the United States, or whether it will influence the design of stadiums in the UK.
To an extent, such design trends have already been seen in Britain. The most advanced football stadium at present is, arguably, the £1.2 billion Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with its retractable pitch and advanced spectator facilities.
The stadium, which hosted its first game in 2019, also makes extensive use of structural glass, with the roof containing 62 double-laminated structural glass panels.
Other new stadia are also using a lot more glass, with Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, which replaced Goodison Park a year ago, using internal glass fittings extensively.
At around £800 million, the Hill Dickinson Stadium is not as advanced as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but both may be left trailing in the wake of a spectacular new Old Trafford.
Will Old Trafford Take Inspiration From The SoFi Stadium?
Manchester United’s plans for a new 100,000-seat stadium, to be built on land adjacent to their current Old Trafford home, have just taken a step forward with news that the club has completed an important land purchase.
The stadium will be part of a major regeneration project for the area, but the chief ambition is that the venue will be as good as any venue in the world, not just because of its large capacity, but also its modern facilities and use as a venue for more than football.
Significantly, before commissioning the design of the stadium, club officials visited the SoFi Stadium, where the club played a pre-season friendly in 2024, to see what could be learned from that.
Part of that undertaking will be to expand the role of the new Old Trafford as a means of generating income on non-match days, with the initial design of the new venue proposing the largest public realm area in the UK, capable of hosting events in its own right.
That design involved a canopy inspired by the Munich Olympic Stadium, but derided by critics as resembling a circus tent. However, it would include extensive structural glass, as well as solar cells and rainwater collection facilities.
Old Trafford’s designs may be modified before the final blueprint is in place and the first piece of structural glass is installed. But what such cutting-edge projects demonstrate is that the use of modern glass is now playing a key role in stadium architecture.
