Forbes.com’s Kristi Dosh interviewed Micheal Day, a principal for HOK’s Sports + Recreation + Entertainment Group, about how the design team reimagined the experience at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium for every fan while phasing the massive modernization over three off-seasons.
Day describes the “premium for all fans” approach, the innovative construction phasing strategy, the open-roof canopy that acts as the most striking architectural feature while sheltering fans from sun and rain, the branding and local art program that gives the stadium a distinctly South Florida feel and the approach of designing the renovation to accommodate the NFL’s Miami Dolphins while helping attract other major international events.
Excerpted from Forbes.com:
Opened in 1987, Hard Rock Stadium (originally known as Joe Robbie Stadium) went through a massive renovation in 2015 and 2016, with no seat left untouched. It was this renovation that prepared it to play host to Super Bowl LIV this weekend.
“The premium amenities have also had a day and night difference—exceeding fan expectations and creating spaces for every single ticket holder,” says Day. “Each fan now has unique amenities they have access to. We thought through every fan type—business associates, families, the super fan—and accommodated the team’s diverse fan base through these spaces.”
Day says the focus on delivering for every type of fan was an approach other stadiums should consider as they renovate older spaces.
“Some teams are hyper focused on premium. The Dolphins understood that there had to be a balance between catering to the premium fan and the general ticket holder and creating an equally memorably experience for both.”