HNTB served as the Design Architect and Architect of Record for the new 20,000-seat Lower.com Field, home of the Columbus Crew MLS team. A multidisciplinary design team, including Interior Design consultant BLUR Workshop, created a variety of premium products designed to push the boundaries of sports venues and their utilization beyond game day. The diversity of upscale spaces gives fans the opportunity to customize their experience when attending a match or community event. A 62,000-SF landscaped outdoor plaza creates a welcoming yet flexible destination for concerts, food trucks, local festivals, fairs and more.
Club and lounge spaces cultivate a feeling of casual luxury, providing a VIP fan experience while maintaining comfort, warmth and connectivity to the rest of the stadium. Exciting design elements reflect the city’s fabric while offering a sophisticated take on the team's new brand.
Two field clubs dynamically connect patrons behind the scenes to the pitch and team. The Huntington Field Club on the west sideline is set apart not only by direct access to the field, but also the players themselves. The pre-game player procession through the club from their adjacent home-team locker room achieves an unmatched experience for the loyal supporters. Across the way, the Lower.com Lounge provides elevated luxury in private suites and an exclusive outdoor patio complete with fireplaces.
The two concourse clubs (River Club and Rail Club) stimulate a more active, social atmosphere for fans. Each club is unique in its own way, providing the fans with variety on game day. To create continuity throughout the premium spaces, a combination of wood tones, various natural stones, metal accents and pops of team colors give each club an elevated, energetic look and feel. Using materials and textures to thread all the spaces together.
The completion of the stadium engages the community in a new way as an extension of not just our identity as designers, but also the values and aspirations of the community we serve.