MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM -

ATLANTA

For the design of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the team found inspiration in the way sunlight passes through the oculus in the roof of the Pantheon in Rome. Made up of eight triangular ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) “petals” that move together along 16 individual tracks, the semi-transparent roof opens and closes like the aperture of a camera. 

As a continuation of the roof, the ETFE facade features angular, wing-like exterior sections. The transparency creates a 16-story “window to the city” that draws in daylight and offers panoramic views of Atlanta’s skyline. 

Designed for sustainability, Mercedes-Benz Stadium is North America’s first LEED Platinum professional sports stadium. A 600,000-square-foot cistern helps recapture and reuse rainwater. This helps protect the neighborhood from flooding and provides rainwater to irrigate trees throughout the city. The site has more than 4,000 solar PV panels. The focus on sustainability extends into the community through connections to public transit and the creation of urban farming areas and open recreation spaces. 

In addition to serving as an anchor for the downtown tourist and entertainment district, the stadium will catalyze changes in surrounding neighborhoods. District-scale thinking enables the building to share resources with nearby developments. 

HOK collaborated on the design with tvsdesign, Goode Van Slyke Architecture and Stanley Beaman & Sears. HOK’s structural engineers collaborated with BuroHappold, with WSP providing MEP and fire protection engineering. 

Photo credits: Buro Happold Engineering