NFL team Miami Dolphins revamping stadium with major HOK-designed rooftop canopy
by Kim Megson | 13 Apr 2016
US National Football League (NFL) franchise the Miami Dolphins is racing to complete a US$450m renovation of its stadium before pre-season begins in August 2016.
The club is working with sports architects HOK to construct a new open-air rooftop canopy, which is designed to amplify crowd noise and cast 92 per cent of fans in shade from the fierce south Florida heat. The square roof will be supported by distinctive spiked steel pillars.
The Dolphins are also installing four 22,400sq ft (2,000sq m) HD video boards, new bar facilities, an improved audio system, fibre-optic Wi-Fi, LED lighting and improved surface light levels to boost energy savings.
The programme of renovations on the stadium, which first opened in 1987, began in 2015 with the installation of new seats and revamped concourses, incorporating murals by local artists.
When work began the ground was named the Sun Life Stadium, after the insurance group, but this was recently changed to the New Miami Stadium until another corporate sponsor is found.
The revamp project is being bankrolled by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, who wants to make the stadium “a global entertainment destination” that can host future Super Bowls, as well as college football championships, international soccer fixtures and festivals and concerts.
The team’s CEO Tom Garfinkel told Miami publication The Palm Beach Post that 24/7 construction work is keeping the project on schedule, and is sending a positive signal to NFL owners who will meet in May to vote on the hosts of the 2019, 2020 and 2021 Super Bowls.
The Dolphins last hosted American football’s highest-profile event in 2010, but reportedly has been told it has to improve its stadium to host again.
In addition to possible Super Bowls and NFL matches, the new-look stadium will also host University of Miami football and the annual Orange Bowl college football game.
Once the roof canopy is complete, work will begin on updating all existing premium space in the stadium. New suites have been designed in collaboration with Rockwell Group.
The New Miami Stadium is located in Miami Gardens, a suburban city to the north of Miami. It is located 27km from Overtown, where former England soccer captain David Beckham is planning to establish a new Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise called Miami Beckham United, who will play in a new 25,000-capacity stadium.
NFL Miami Dolphins New Miami Stadium HOK architecture American Football Super Bowl design
The new canopy will cover 92 per cent of spectators in shade Credit: Miami Dolphins
Renovation work will completely revamp the stadium when fully complete in 2017 Credit: Miami Dolphins
The stadium's suites and concourses are also being revamped Credit: Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are seeking a corporate sponsor to buy the stadium's naming rights Credit: Miami Dolphins
Construction is running 24/7 to complete the roof by August 2016 Credit: Miami Dolphins
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US National Football League (NFL) franchise the Miami Dolphins is racing to complete a US$450m renovation of its stadium before pre-season begins in August 2016. The club is working with sports architects HOK to construct a new open-air rooftop canopy, which is designed to amplify crowd noise and cast 92 per cent of fans in shade from the fierce south Florida heat. The square roof will be supported by distinctive
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