Stadia as Urban Activation Centers

Stadia as Urban Activation Centers Adam Freeby Ball State University Professor: Andrea Swartz Advisor: Lohren Deeg

Acknowledgments

I would like to dedicate this thesis book to my friends and family that have been here and have supported me during this process. Your love and support has been greatly appreciated and has allowed me to be successful. Thank you everyone, I am blessed to have such amazing friends and family.

I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Lohren Deeg, for your continued guidance during this process. His experience with community charettes and studies in the area of my site provided me with a background knowledge base to construct my project on. Once again, thank you for your assistance during this project, which would not have been possible without your guidance.

I would also like to extend my appreciation to my studio professor, Andrea Swartz, for her contributions throughout the design process. Her encouragement to push the design further at every stage led me to explore and discover more throughout the design process. Thank you for all you have done, this would not have been what it became without your counsel throughout the project.

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Stadia as Urban Activation Center // Adam Freeby

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION

URBAN DESIGN PRINCIPLES

ABSTRACT

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PEDESTRIAN FIRST

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DENSITY

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TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE Indianapolis Cultural Trail

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IndyGo BRT Line

27 28 29 30 31

ISSUES AND POSITIONS

RESEARCH

MULTI-PURPOSE STADIA

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HISTORY OF STADIA

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PRECEDENT STUDY Armour Field District Detroit

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NATURAL SYSTEMS Parks Pogue’s Run Site Landscape

CULTURAL CONTEXT

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SITE ENTRY POINTS

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HISTORICAL CONTEXT

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STADIUM SITE RELATIONSHIPS

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SITE CONTEXT

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GAME DAY/ OFF DAY ACTIVITY

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SITE CONDITIONS

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STRUCTURE STUDY

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URBAN DESIGN PRINCIPLES

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GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

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DESIGN PROCESS

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DESIGN PARTI

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INITIAL STADIUM DESIGN

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INITIAL DESIGN EXPLORATION

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CHANGES TO THE DESIGN

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PROGRAM OVERVIEW

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RELATIONSHIPS TO THE CITY

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REFLECTION AND CONCLUSIONS

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SUMMARY

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REFLECTIONS

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FEEDBACK

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RESOURCES

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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IMAGE CREDITS

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Abstract The thesis inquiry pertains to the stigma surrounding urban stadiums and their inability to create and cultivate activation in and around these facilities yearround. Traditionally stadia have been the center of community sport and entertainment, but not necessarily the center of the community itself. The question is, how can stadium architecture and urban design provide for lively community engagement on game-days that is sustained in the daily life of the neighborhood?

These facilities would not normally have much activity or energy in or around the structure outside of days that games or concerts are being hosted. The thesis will address relationships between the site with the stadium and its adjacencies while also addressing adjacencies on site with the stadium and its surrounding context. This thesis will explore how stadiums and urban design can provide dynamic spaces of activation that help promote and stimulate use in and around the stadium throughout the year.

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stadium, most often the same issues appear and affect the project. Most of these issues are all intertwined and related to each other. The first is that these stadia are placed into cities with the expectation that economic growth will follow. Normally this happens when little to no planning from the team or the city to follow through on any larger master planning that the stadium would be a part of. A stadium in this situation is not able to integrate into the context of the city, but stand out and become a sore spot. The last main issue is how a stadia is placed into an improper context and end up not relating to anything in the surrounding area. These issues are something that this thesis looks to address and how new stadia can become integrated into the city and provide year round activity.

Through the research and understanding of urban design and the contemporary practice principles, four of them stuck out as criteria in which can drive stadium development. These four principles address the project in different ways, but at the same

Stadia as Urban Activation Center // Adam Freeby

time can work together to create a cohesive design solution. The first principle is pedestrian first, this principle drives the idea of giving space back to pedestrians that had been previously lost to automotive traffic. The second principle guiding the design is density, a project’s scale and feeling can be dictated by how dense the site is. The third principle is transit supportive, when looking at a project in an urban area it is important to keep in mind the various transit options a city has. Finally, the fourth principle is natural systems, when looking at urban environments typically nature and landscaping design is something can be quite powerful when integrated into the site design from the beginning. These principles are the guiding factors that will help reach and achieve the goals and objectives for the project.

The agenda of the project is to focus on a program that integrates mixed-use spaces and the stadium to begin promoting activation in and around the stadium. From there other mixed-use developments on site can help promote and build a

community around the stadium.

Another key part of the agenda is the influence of the urban design principles to drive the larger design. It is through these principles in which the objective of activating a stadium and its surrounding context year-round can be achieved. By having this base of urban design principles there are now solid precedents for what the project will need to be successful.

Exploration of successful examples of stadium architecture and urban design support development of dynamic spaces of activation that will promote and stimulate use around the stadium year-round.

Stadia are an integral part in the cities social and economic systems and will continue to be so during the age of entertainment. But also, now these facilities need to be more than just a place to watch a game.

Stadia are hubs, similar to how a mall was a hub of social activity at one point, stadia are that modern social and entertainment hub.

Issues and Positions Issues

Positions

• When it was built, Lucas Oil Stadium had a chance to begin the • Sporting venues can become hubs for consumerism and commercialism through supporting developments in and around revitalization of the south side of downtown of Indianapolis. The the site. In a world where convenience controls the consumers, project has brought more people and businesses into the city but the developing areas that can cater to a wide variety of needs is important stadium has not specifically activated the area south of Union Station. to stimulate the local economy and bring consumers to shops rather Lucas Oil could have integrated future commercial and residential than using services like Amazon. spaces into the facility or even the site to promote activation but instead the focus was put into the facility itself and how it aligned • A stadium that is properly integrated into its site and surrounding with the city as a landmark. context can be a catalyst for social and economical development. By properly developing a site and building in commercial space, it can • Urban stadia have typically been ‘placed’ in an area of town and the begin to bring people to the site when there are no big events going expectation of both the city and the team is that the stadium being on to either socialize or be consumers. in this urban location will automatically promote activity and growth in a city. This is not always true, it is the integration and the stadium becoming embedded into the city that helps promote economic and social development in and around the facility.

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Multi-Purpose Stadia The era of Multi-purpose Stadia is one that is revolutionary in this period of this history of stadiums but is also controversial. The Multi-purpose stadium is to be the dawn of the new era of sports facilities, especially in the United States, where sports are becoming a large part of the economy.

• Sports teams in the 1960s, primarily football and baseball teams, which tended to split the costs of a facility with their neighbors.

• The architects of this type of stadia also began to develop their own architectural style, which became known as the “concrete donut”.

Eleven such ‘concrete donuts’ were constructed in the 1960s and 1970s across the US. • On paper these multi-purpose stadiums made sense, it was in practice where these facilities showed how the two sports could share the result was not successful for either sport or the urban context.

Three Rivers Stadium - Pittsburgh, PA

Riverfront Stadium - Cincinnati, OH

Veterans Stadium - Philadelphia, PA

Busch Memorial Stadium - St. Louis, MO

1 The concrete donut design as seen in four different cities

• From the late 1990s to today, the shift back to independent venues began to take place. Only one stadium currently hosts both NFL and MLB games still, that stadium is Oakland Alameda County Coliseum home to the Oakland Athletics of the MLB and the Oakland Raiders of the NFL. This will only continue till the end of the 2019 NFL season when the Raiders will play their last game in Oakland before moving into a brand-new $2.2 billion stadium in Las Vegas. With the moving of the Raiders out of Oakland, this spells the official end of the multi-purpose stadia era.

The multi-purpose stadium was an idea that during its inception looked to be the greatest revolution in sports stadia. But in the end it turned out to be a short-term idea that would fall short of solving the problem it set out to fix.

2 Oakland Alameda County Coliseum configured for the Raiders football game.

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History of Stadia

3 The original Chelsea Football Ground, 1921

4 Kansas City Sports Complex

5 Camden Yards, built in 1992

6 SoFI Stadium in Los Angeles

The Beginning

Movin’ Out

The Renaissance

The New Age

776 BC - Early 1950s

Early 1950s - 1990s

1990s - 2010

2010 - Present

Stadiums were conceived during the time of the ancient Greeks for the original Olympic Games that were held 776 BC. Stadiums continued into the age of ancient Romans but would disappear until the mid-1860s with the emergence of English football (soccer) in the working class areas of cities in England and the rest of Europe.

Early on stadiums were built near the people in urban environments allowing them for easy access to come to events at these stadiums.

This changed with the boom of the automobile. With the revolution of cars, teams and stadiums began to move out to the edge of town where they could cater to the car and provide plenty of parking.

The movement back into the city began in Baltimore with Camden Yards. This movement showed the value a stadium can have in the city. Communities began to embrace these facilities , allowing it to become a part of the fabric of the city. This new understanding and impact of stadiums would begin a trend still seen today.

These facilities were quite robust, providing more amenities and fixed seating. At this time, there was a change in the foot prints of stadiums, becoming much larger and wider than their predecessors.

With stadiums moving back to the urban environment, stadiums became site-specific, creating more unique designs that would adapt to their surroundings rather than clearing an area for construction.

The new age of stadiums is here, with a focus on creating complete communities for which the stadium is the centerpiece. Cities are now dedicating districts to stadiums which include residential and commercial projects.

These projects are focused on amenities and connectivity allowing people from around the city to get to and access the stadium.

These stadiums were rather simple, most were dug into the side of the hill, with little constructed seating and amenities.

This era has ushered in a level of design that stadiums in the past have not seen. Thanks to the development of technology has allowed architects and engineers to provide an experience unlike any we have seen before.

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Precedent Study - Armour Field Chicago, Illinois design.2 This mentality led to large ballparks with a lack of an intimate atmosphere seen at Fenway and Wrigley. With that in mind Bess wanted to bring back a ‘site driven’ design that would fit the constraints of what he was given. With these ideas in mind, Bess chose the site just north of Comiskey Park at Armour Park.

7 Exterior rendering showing the vibrancy and activity around the ballpark This site is surrounded by the Armour Park was a counter- were blind spots for certain seats Chicago street grid which would proposal in 1986 to the Chicago because of the large overhanging keep the field from expanding White Sox plan for a new ballpark upper deck seating. From there, its reach too far. With these key in the south side of Chicago. he did research on how far back ideas Bess was able to construct a A project that did not get built, he could go before the view ballpark that completed his vision this design was the product of became too unpleased to sit in, for his hometown. architect Phillip Bess, who was finding that row forty-two was the Bess understood the need to situate born in Chicago and had a love last row that the overhang could supporting structures around for all things baseball, but was be tolerable.1 Armour Park in order for it to be particularly fond of ballpark Due to site constraints the successful long-term. He knew he design. orientation of the ball park was needed to cater to the community Bess then analyzed what had unorthodox, facing north rather around the ballpark so they could previously worked at the White than east which is typical. This reap the benefits from having the Sox current home Comiskey Park orientation allowed for the ballpark in their backyards. as well as what was not working in ballpark to fit in the site while Bess’ plan involved surrounding creating framed views of Chicago. other ballparks at the time. Bess Armour park in six-story mixedspent time at cross-town ballpark use developments, with retail Ahead of Its Time Wrigley Field to understand what first floors.3 He also knew that Bess was keen on breaking worked about the park and what there would be homes at risk of the trend of ‘program driven’ did not. He found that there displacement. In Bess’ plan he 7

Stadia as Urban Activation Center // Adam Freeby

spared most homes and would have ended up displacing only 50 homes, all of which would only be moved at most two blocks. This compared to the 178 that were actually displaced.

Another component included turning old Comiskey Park field into a public park/plaza space, while allowing recreational and high school games to still take place.4 This would help offset the loss of Armour Square Park to the ballpark.

8 Project site plan, showing the connections between site and context

Precedent Study - District Detroit Detroit, Michigan Entertainment Neighborhood

Interactions With Adjacencies

The overall plan for District Detroit is to create and then develop a sports and entertainment neighborhood just north of downtown Detroit in an area that could benefit from economic development.

Little Caesars Arena is an arena that can be broken down into three separate rings of activation.

This district creates a walkable environment for people to get to teams within a half of a mile and from the different venues as from each other. Along with the well as restaurants and shops in building projects there would be the area. renovations and large investments in the infrastructure around the Most of this district has been area. The goal was to create a formed with existing entertainment more walkable and pedestrian venues including the likes of Fox environment for the people of Theatre and Comerica Park. This Detroit to enjoy. completes the district, locating all The development of District of Detroit’s sports franchises is Detroit has not been as quick Little Caesars Arena. and successful as originally planned. Large areas of proposed development still sit as dead, underutilized space in the city’s urban core.

9 The crown jewel of District Detroit, Little Caesars Arena.

The District Detroit is an ambitious long-term redevelopment of a devastated area of Detroit, a town looking to re-brand itself after recent turmoil. The site covers 50 blocks of land in the heart of downtown Detroit and is connected to the nearby attractions like the Fox Theatre, Ford Field and Comerica Park.5 Starting in 2014, the development focused on bringing in a wide variety of programs ranging from residential apartments to tech companies, such as Google renting out office space to finally the crown jewel of the project, Little Caesars Arena, a home for two of Detroit’s indoor professional sports teams, the Red Wings and Pistons. This arena would bring all of Detroit’s sports

Although there have been these delays, District Detroit and Little Caesars Arena have had a profound impact on the city and look to bring a new breath of life to downtown Detroit.

Little Caesars Arena

Fox Theatre

The Fillmore

Detroit Opera House

Comerica Park

Ford Field

The outer ring is a permeable layer with commercial spaces that interact with the middle circulation layer and the outside of the stadium, promoting more points of access than a typical arena.

The circulation layer doubles not only as a go between from these commercial spaces and the seating bowl but the large space also accommodate various seating and meeting spaces. The final layer, the seating bowl, is where a large majority of activity takes place providing views to the playing surface.

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Cultural Context A True Sports Town

Filling a Void

Throughout the growth of sports in the early 1900s till now the city of Indianapolis has been a large part of hosting and participating in a variety of sports and events from golf to one of the worlds most prestigious and famous races, the Indianapolis 500. Sports are ingrained into the fabric of Indianapolis.

The city of Indianapolis has a wide variety of sports and entertainment venues to serve the city. The venues range from the extraordinarily large Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a capacity upwards of 400,000, to the much smaller venue like the Egyptian Room, a concert venue with the capacity of 2,500.

10 Bankers Life Fieldhouse, home to the Pacers NBA team and a variety of concerts.

This trend is going to continue, with the emergence of new teams in a variety of sports including the Indy Eleven professional soccer team who have been around since 2013 and the Indy Fuel, a minor league hockey team that got started in 2014.

But missing from this arsenal of venues is a mid-sized outdoor space that Surprisingly the city of Indianapolis does not have, especially in the downtown of the city. A 20,000 seat outdoor stadium would become a flexible space that would not only be able Not only are new teams coming up to host soccer games for the city’s in the city but new and returning professional team but also provide are using Indianapolis as a host relief space for Lucas Oil Stadium, city because of its venues and and the Indiana Convention amenities as a city. Some future Center, both of which host events events coming to Indianapolis year round. These events range are the NCAA Final Four slated from large conferences to events for 2021 and 2026, the College like the NCAA Final Four or even Football Playoff in 2022 and the a Super Bowl game.

2021 NBA All-Star Game.

11 Lucas Oil Stadium, home to the Colts, NFL team, concerts and other types of large scale events

12 Victory Field, home to the Indians, a minor league baseball team

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Historical Context The Nomads

Indianapolis Master Plan

The Indy Eleven have been renters for their entire existence. The team first played games at Michael A. Carroll Stadium, known as The Mike, on the campus of IUPUI in downtown. This happened from their inaugural season in 2013 till 2017 when the team announced they would be moving to Lucas Oil Stadium to play home matches where they currently play today. So the team has been on the move around downtown Indianapolis borrowing facilities for the last seven years.

The original plat of Indianapolis was designed in 1821 by Alexander Ralston and Elias Fordham. The design was influenced by Washington DC with Ralston and Fordham basing the design around what is known today as Monument Circle. From this center point, the city was designed in a typical grid with four spokes coming off the circle at 45O angles.

Today you can still see remnants of the original plan, but the growth of In 2017 the team announced they were seeking a bid into the MLS, the city has broken these spokes at points. It is at two of these spokes the top division of soccer in the US and this began the search for a on the east side, Virginia and Massachusetts Avenues, that there have permanent home. This is a search that still continues to today, with no been driving the redevelopment and economic growth in downtown stadium deal in sight.

Indianapolis.

Monument Circle Kentucky Avenue

13 Indy Eleven’s former home, Michael A. Carroll Stadium, dubbed The Mike.

14 The original Ralston and Fordham plat for the city of Indianapolis Stadia as Urban Activation Center // Adam Freeby

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Site Context The specific site selected is located in the southwest quadrant of Indy, off of the Kentucky Avenue spoke. The post-industrial site is adjacent Lucas Oil Stadium and is just south of Victory field and the Indiana Convention Center. This side of town and more specifically this site has been home to the industrial center of Indianapolis during the height of industry in the city. Currently the site sits as a parking lot as all of the industrial structures have been torn down with only their foundations remaining.

Originally the site was home to the Hetherington and Berner Structural Ironworks plant that sat

on the west side of the site next to Kentucky Avenue. The rest of the site sat dotted with a variety of former industrial structures that have been cleared and paved over for parking.

The site is a good location for this larger urban design intervention that has the goal to reinvigorate a part of downtown that has not experienced the same prosperity as the other areas in town. This area of town can be seen as a void within the city as up until the development of Lucas Oil, many people did not come to this area for anything other than work.

The figure-ground study investigates existing site conditions of urban density and demonstrates the large amounts of surface parking around the site. e

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15 1915 Sandborn map with the location of Hetherington and Berner

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Lucas Oil Stadium

Site Conditions

Crane Bay Event Center

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Motorvault, LLC.

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Site Summary The selection of the site was difficult as with a mid-sized stadium there are size constraints that need to be met. The project-type calls for a 10 acre site at a minimum to allow for a bit of breathing room, this is a tougher challenge when looking in an urban area. The selected site met and exceeded the size requirement allowing for more development to take place.

Existing Buildings Evaluation

Site Conditions

Site Circulation

Conditions for the site during the initial site evaluation. These 1. Crane Bay Event Center: Northern side of site, 34,677 SF conditions included noise, wind, site, commercial property. Offers some historic value due to its and sun angle among others. architectural characteristics and past. Originally built as a potbelly stove factory, also used by GM to build train engine parts. Would be considered to keep facility within design plan.

Currently on the 20.5 acre site there are three existing structures.

2. Otava: Located at the corner of West and Merrill Street, 37,067 SF site. Bland facade, currently sitting in a prominent location for the larger site. Does not offer much value to the site and would not be in the project plan.

3. Motorvault LLC: Vehicle storage facility, 11,640 SF site located at

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Circulation around the site was primarily vehicular, with the highest concentration of traffic to the east of the site moving south.

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the corner of McCarty and West Street. Small one-story building not offering much value to the larger site.

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Applicable Urban Design Principles Through the research of various urban design principles and strategies, four rose to the top as they complimented the goals and objectives for the project but also the site and constraints. These principles became the driving force behind the site design and the decisions that were chosen.

Pedestrian First

Density

Transit Supportive

Natural Systems

Focusing on allowing the pedestrian to reclaim street edges and entire plots of the urban fabric that were taken for automobiles. The strategy can be used through providing large gathering spaces for people to meet and congregate in and around the built environment. This safety gives pedestrians peace of mind about being able to walk around their environment without worrying about traffic.

By increasing the density of an area, neighborhoods can be condensed, allowing for walking to be a more convenient way to move around a city. This density can also lead to a more efficient use of resources and services and overall make living spaces more enjoyable.

Tying into existing transit networks, like buses and cultural trails provides the public with ways to reach the site without the use of personal vehicles. These networks can reach and begin to link surrounding neighborhoods to the site through other means of transportation than cars.

Promoting and placing nature within the urban setting. Pockettype parks, allees of trees and water features can be of great benefit to people who live in the urban desert. Access to these elements provides users with an opportunity to disconnect themselves from the hustle and bustle of the larger urban community.

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Project Goals and Objectives Monumental Scale

Architectural Scale

Detail Scale

• Enhance the connectivity between the • Daylight Pogue’s Run to become • Promote strategies that cultivate different sports venues in downtown activation on both gamedays and integrated into the site, reclaiming Indianapolis, promoting a sports and non-gamedays alike. the location where it once ran on the entertainment neighborhood. surface.

• Design for connectivity and interaction • Affirm the urban design plan for the • Create outdoor urban rooms in the between the stadium and the new city of Indianapolis as laid out by urban context to promote engagement interstitial space between the stadium Ralston and Fordham. and social activities. and new mixed-use buildings, forming pockets of human interaction.

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Design Partis The Spaces in Between

Creating public activation space by carving out areas between solids, allowing for the voids to be emphasized. These voids can become beacons for activation and understanding how the activation spaces can become interconnected.

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Layering Through Program

Through the idea of layering, relationships of program and spaces can begin to communicate with each other. This then allows for different areas and environments for activation to appear. These spaces of activation in turn can reinforce the layering, adding another dimension to the layering scheme.

Stadia as Urban Activation Center // Adam Freeby

Enveloping the Hub

Providing the hub space with a surrounding barrier of program shrouds the true identity of the hub from the outside of the site. The mystery of this hub becomes a draw to pull activity within the walls of the edge program.

This allows for the architecture to dictate the experience of the users as they approach and use the site.

Initial Stadium Design

Main Concourse

Another key to the design was beginning to Adjacency Matrix understand how the stadium would look like.

TEAM OFFICES To find out how the stadium would be laid out STADIUM CONCOURSE an adjacency matrix was formed, highlighting LOCKERROOMS which program pieces needed to be near each PLAYING SURFACE other during design of the layout. After studying RESTROOMS the matrix and running through a couple CONCESSIONS different scenarios and layouts a final layout RESTAURANTS was formed that would become the base for TEAM STORE the design.

In tandem with the floor layouts, exterior facade studies took place to understand the shape and materiality of what the stadium would begin to look like. The historical and cultural context became important during this step to look at other stadiums in the city and what the context looked like around the site.

These external elements gave an indication for what might work for the site in regards to form and material.

Facade Study

STORAGE SPACE MECHANICAL

FIRST AID STATION

Suite Level

CUSTODIAL SPACE

GENERAL SEATING CLUB LEVEL

SUITE LEVEL PRESSBOX CRUCIAL TO BE ADJACENT IDEAL TO BE ADJACENT SHOULD NOT BE ADJACENT

Upper Deck

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Initial Design Exploration The initial design exploration the focus was put Program Exploration into translating the original design partis into physical spaces. There was a focus on laying out the program and building heights while also beginning to identify the large site moves.

This first design exploration is where the idea of daylighting Pogue’s Run first comes to light, with the initial design emulating where Pogue’s Run is located today.

During this exploration there was an emphasis on seeing how the stadium could begin to connect to the surrounding context through bend and shaping the roof to peel off of the structure. Another element of this design was the centerpiece icon element in the center of the site. This structure was to be the beacon to the site, drawing people through a visual Material Exploration element.

After the initial massing study there was a material study done to begin to understand what the stadium and the surrounding context materials would begin to look like. This material study was done by looking to surrounding context and the historical architecture of the site in order to come up with the material palette.

The first design exploration was limited due to a couple of factors, but the major one was the lack of any urban design principles. This design was driven by the partis but with no principles established at the time, the design lacked in a couple of areas.

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Changes to the Design After the first design exploration, there were Original Design some noticeable changes that needed to be made to the project in order to complete the design. There were three major design changes that were deemed necessary to after the first exploration.

The first change that was made was rerouting Pogue’s Run. Originally, the goal was to keep the creek in its current location but daylight on the site. This created a couple of issues in the layout of the original massing. The change that was made rerouted the creek through the entirety of the site and then out to the White River west of the site.

The second change was the inclusion of a parcel of land to the west of the site. This parcel would become a park allowing Pogue’s Run Updated Design to cut through and meet the White River. The extension strengthened the connection to the White River and gave more space to Pogue’s Run The third change involved increasing the density on the west side of the stadium. The change not only promoted a tighter density, but gave order to the west side of the site. This helped form the boundaries for the pedestrian paths while also maximizing the use of the site. The new density also gave unique sight lines into the site, grabbing the curiosity of a passerby to explore what was beyond the edge of the site.

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Final Design - Program Overview

The program includes much more than just a stadium including spaces and facilities that would promote activity on the site year round and would begin to transform an underdeveloped area of Indianapolis into the next up and coming neighborhood. The program includes a variety of mixed-use buildings that bring residential, office and retail spaces to the site including hotel and conference space to aid and support existing facilities in Indianapolis.

Stadium + Adjacent Structures Hotel + Conference Center Mixed-Use 1 (Commercial + Office Space) Mixed-Use 2 (Commercial + Residential) Mixed-Use 3 (Commercial + Residential + Office Space)

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Relating to the City The stadium is situated looking back to the center of Indianapolis, specifically, Monument Circle.

This is a trend that is repeated throughout the sporting facilities in Indianapolis, both Lucas Oil Stadium and Victory Park frame the skyline of Indianapolis from their respective locations.

The project’s site was selected within proximity of the other aforementioned venues in Indianapolis. This proximity would lead to the creation of a sports and entertainment district.

This district would have the capacity to allow Indianapolis to host large scale events like the Super Bowl or March Madness.

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Urban Design Principle: Pedestrian First

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The strategy for creating a Pedestrian First place was the removal of all vehicular traffic from the interior of the site and relocating it to the perimeter. This allows pedestrians and bikers alike free range of movement within the site.

The next step in providing a place for pedestrians was creating spaces in and around the buildings on the site for gathering. From pocket-type parks to large plaza spaces, each space provides a unique experience for the people using the site.

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Public Gathering Space

Indianapolis Cultural Trail

Main Auto Corridor

Secondary Auto Corridor

Primary Pedestrian Paths

Special Event Pedestrian Paths

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Urban Design Principle: Density The density of a site can change the experiences users have on site. In this case, the density for the project looks to similarly align to the density seen in downtown Indianapolis. By aligning to this density, the feeling a user might experience in the center of town would be similar to what they would feel on site. In fact the density coupled with the lower height of the structures creates a more user friendly environment.

Understanding the surrounding context and the density seen there is also key to improving the environment on site. A poor example of density is Lucas Oil Stadium, with only a parking lot adjacent to the structure, the scale is out of proportion and towers over the occupants of the site.

Downtown Indianapolis

On Site Density

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Lucas Oil Stadium

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Urban Design Principle: Transit Supportive

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With a focus on pedestrian first, it is important to support that idea with enough options to get to the site that cars become the secondary mode of transportation to and from the site. This is where Indianapolis’ public transport comes into play. Thanks to the city expanding bus lines and trail movements, the people have not had easier ways to get around Indianapolis. These are the developments that should be capitalized on.

As the Bus Rapid Transit system begins to link the edges of Indianapolis’ urban areas, the Cultural Trail has created a network of bike and pedestrian friendly paths that are linking inner city neighborhoods.

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Indianapolis Cultural Trail On Site Parking Garage On Site Yellow BRT Bus Stops

To Renaissance Place

To Canal Walk

To Ransom Place

Indianapolis Cultural Trail

White River Greenway

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With the extension of the trail, new connections can be made to the southwest side of downtown Indianapolis with the chance to begin to expand further down the Kentucky Ave spoke or move into West Indianapolis, connecting to the former GM stamping plant site and the White River Greenway.

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The Indianapolis Cultural Trail started as a way to connect six cultural neighborhoods through a trail for both pedestrians and bicycles. The trail also now doubles as a chance for people to move around the city on dedicated bike lanes.

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Existing Cultural Trail Proposed Trail Extension

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IndyGo Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Lines

The new IndyGo BRT lines are beginning to connect the city of Indianapolis in ways that they have not before. Offering quick access to a much broader area than the current bus system, the BRT promotes public transport throughout downtown Indianapolis and surrounding neighborhoods.

The plan taps into the bus network and helps promote the future BRT lines linking them to a dedicated line that services the major sports and entertainment venues in the downtown area. By stopping at the transit center, this line would connect to all bus lines in the city as well as other amenities like the cultural trail.

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Existing Red Line Proposed Purple Line (Service to begin in 2022) Proposed Blue Line (Service to begin in 2025) Project Proposed Yellow Line

Urban Design Principle: Transit Supportive

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Urban Design Principle: Natural Systems

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Natural systems in urban environments create a more dynamic space for the users when they interact with their surroundings. Including a variety of these spaces and integrating them into the site rather along with landscaping in the architecture allows a cohesive experience from place to place on site.

Included in these natural systems are a two pocket-type and two large scale parks, the daylighting of Pogue’s Run and a variety of site landscaping that can be found throughout the site.

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Parks Pogue’s Run Site Landscape

Parks From the two pocket-style parks along the south edge of the site, one main park area to the south of the stadium and the riverfront park to the west of the site, and Canal Walk along Pogue’s Run, there is a dramatic increase to public green space in this part of the city. These parks offer a variety of spaces for the people of Indianapolis to enjoy.

With the creation of these parks a new urban amenity is provided to a community that would typically not be offered to. With the different sizes and even shapes of these parks each one offers something different to the other. The parks also are linked together through Pogue’s Run, connecting these parks and promoting a continuity of natural systems throughout the site rather than at particular points.

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Site Landscape The site landscaping helps combine and interconnect the parks and the daylighting of Pogue’s Run. The site landscaping would include the addition of new trees along the eastern approach, the residential corridors and along Pogue’s Run. All of the plantings will be native trees, and include a variety of shrubs and perennials to create habitats for birds and insects.

The site uses permeable paving in all pedestrian areas allowing for rain water to be collected on in cisterns for use on site or transferred into Pogue’s Run to be deposited back into the White River. The overall use of natural systems gives access to amenities that a typical urban environment lacks.

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Pogue’s Run When looking to bring in more natural elements into the site, daylighting Pogue’s Run became an important part of that process. Currently Pogue’s Run is buried under a large part of downtown Indianapolis and deposits water into the White River just southwest of the site.

The project takes Pogue’s Run and daylights it on the site, creating a corridor planted with wetland vegetation, attracting birds and insects and providing a visible natural system that can be beneficial to residents and visitors experiencing the site. The Canal Walk runs parallel to the Cultural Trail as it moves through the site. As a natural system the creek also is able to collect on site rain water and take it just down stream to the White River.

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Site Entry Points When looking at the larger site, it was an important point to understand the entry points onto the site and how the architecture can be manipulated and changed to promote ease of access to the site and help reinforce both visual and architectural connections.

On the east approach the buildings are intentionally spaced to provide a wide boulevard with pathways that helps create a strong connection between the adjacent site and the main site. This also provides a processional route for fans attending games that moves through large plaza spaces on a persons way to the stadium. The same plaza space

can be seen at the northeast entry to the site with a much more direct route into the stadium, while the view heading into the stadium is being framed by the roof. On the west side the architecture has been cut into, providing direct access via paths into the center of the site and the park that sits to the south of the stadium.

The entries into the stadium are also a focus as most enter into views of the interior playing field or feed into various commercial spaces built into the side of the stadium. These commercial spaces also have direct access to the stadium circulation acting as secondary entry points.

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Stadium - Site Relationships The site links itself to Lucas Oil Stadium and its parking lot to the east and the White River to the West. The site situated between Lucas Oil and the new stadium helps reinforce the processional path to the stadium from the downtown area and Lucas Oil Stadium’s parking lot.

The stadium opens up to the northeast, welcoming people from downtown Indianapolis to the site, this entry to the stadium is further reinforced by a large plaza just outside of the stadium creating clear sight lines into and out of the stadium.

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Stadium - Site Relationships The relationship between the stadium itself and the site is one a complex one that has obvious similarities but also some obvious differences.

Starting with the materiality, the stadium relates back to the site at its base with a brick two story space, mimicking the on-site buildings brick material. As you move up the building, the differences begin to show more clearly. From the top of the brick perimeter wall the material and form shift from a relatable, simple palette to something futuristic and complex. The material changes going from brick and concrete to steel and stretched fabric that would guide the transition to a different style building from the context.

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Structure Study The structure of the stadium is based on a concrete slab foundation that starts at field level. From there steel columns and beams make up the lower seating bowl and are tied into the concrete slab. These steel structures are the foundation for the precast concrete forms that the seats will be attached to.

Concrete pilings help form the structure to support the exterior walls and roof beyond the steel frame. These piles run from below the slab all the way to the base of the steel tubes for the roof structure. Connected to these piles is a network of concrete beams at each floor, supporting the roof and the floor loads. The floors are pour-in-place concrete that are reinforced and connected to the beams and columns.

Looking at the roof, the primary truss system is a large steel truss that are connected to two separate steel beams via a node connection point.

In between these primary trusses are smaller secondary trusses that link to the primaries strengthening the connection. On top of the steel truss system sits the polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE roof fabric.

Welded Connection

8” Steel Tube Truss 12” Steel Tube Truss Welded Connection

Steel Node Connection

16” Steel Tube Beam

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Game Day Activation

By isolating a section of the stadium it becomes clear where and how the activity takes place in the stadium during a game day. There is a buzz and activity in all areas both in and around the stadium This activity can be broken down into 3 areas around the site, Exterior, Interstitial and Interior.

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Starting with the Exterior this is where the build up to a match happens, friends and families meet up and begin their journey to the stadium.

This journey takes them to the various plazas with use of the normal circulation paths outside of the stadium and through a heightened amount of activity because of temporary vendors and amenities to serve the game day crowd. Next is the Interstitial space as a user

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moves towards the restaurants and shops embedded into the stadium. These facilities also see an increased level of activity as people are dining and shopping throughout the day during the buildup of the game. And finally the Interior space of the stadium, this section is at its peak traffic with people moving throughout the stadium getting to and from seats and the many amenities in the stadium.

Non-Game Day Activation

After understanding what a game day looks like on the site, one can begin to understand the similarities and differences to the nongame day atmosphere. The three layers still see activity but the importance of which one changes. With the Exterior, there is an obvious amount of activity missing, although the large

game day crowd is missing, the variety of park space, pedestrian paths and the Cultural Trail allow for pedestrians to mill about the site. At the Interstitial level, this is where most of the activity is taking place on non-game days, people are still visiting these shops and restaurants throughout the year thanks to its convenience for the people who live and work in the area. Finally, at the Interior level, this is

the largest change of activity when compared to a game day. The facility for the most part is empty, but the main concourse begins to act as a secondary circulation path in which people can use throughout the year as a public park. This gives the community access to the venue year round letting it become apart of the community instead of a fortress.

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Summary Community Hub

Urban Design Principles

Stadia are integral parts of our modern cities, providing places of entertainment and sport, while being at the center of the communities they are in. With the end of the suburban stadium coming near and these facilities moving back into cities, there is a need for the urban stadium to be integrated into the city rather inserted as an individual structure. Stadia are much more than sports and entertainment facilities they are the hubs of communities that when done right can be the center of the economic and social well-being of an area.

Through the final iteration of the project urban design principles have been at the forefront in dictating how the project massing and even the details would begin to form. These principles, pedestrian first, density, transit supportive and natural systems addressed various aspects of the project, with each principle highlighted by the other and working together in a cohesive design.

Through this thesis the stadium as a project type was investigated and analyzed to find how a successful urban stadium works. It was from this analysis that understanding the importance of interstitial commercial space built into the stadium footprint is an important factor. Similar to Little Caesars in Detroit, by putting an emphasis on these transitional spaces that can be utilized on both game days and off days this can become one of the ways that a stadium can begin to drive traffic to the site year-round. Another driver of activation is the use of the stadium on these off days, whether this is hosting local farmers markets on the main concourse or allowing for the community to use the facility as a place for recreation when the facility is not in use.

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For example, with pedestrian first, these principles turned the site into a network of walkable streets, limiting vehicular access and allowing people to move around the site in any manner they choose. This principle worked closely with density because the two principles were directly related, by changing the density you would remove or add more structures subtracting or adding to the web of paths on site. This connectivity even continued into both transit orientated and natural systems. With transit orientated design this principle reinforced the pedestrian first by promoting alternative means to getting to the site.

Through the use of bicycles and the Indianapolis bus system, this would offer up a secondary method to get to the site, limiting the automotive traffic. Natural systems were able to integrate with the pedestrian paths that were formed on site. The site landscaping and the carving out of parks give amenities to urban inhabitants that they might not be used to in most urban areas. Although this is just one example, it become clear why these specific principles were chosen and how they could contribute to activation both in and outside of the stadium year-round.

Summary Site Relationships

Influence and Impact on Indianapolis

Site relationships have been an important part of the project from its beginning. Whether these relationships are relating to the surrounding context adjacent to the site or the stadium’s relationship to the on-site structures, they have been important in reinforcing design decisions.

While to many another stadium in the city of Indianapolis would not make sense on the surface, in its particular spot, this stadium and its design would be the perfect opportunity to add to the arsenal of venues in the city. This added venue would build on any bid that the city might put in for future events like a Super Bowl, Final Four or even another Pan American Games. The site would also be a good place for people to come to before and even after events that take place at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Indianapolis Convention Center or even Victory Field. The mixed-use aspect of the project provides a commercial aspect that the area around Lucas Oil is missing. This is another impact that the project would have, adding some economic growth to the south side of the downtown core, specifically the southwest side, which sits today as an underutilized space with little going on outside of Lucas Oil and some light industrial facilities, some of which are closing. The area needs a revitalization, and in terms of its life cycle, is sitting in a similar spot that Massachusetts and Virginia Avenues were at before they were invested in. The Kentucky Avenue spoke is one that could see similar results because of investments that have already been made with Lucas Oil. A project of this size and value would bring a lot to an area of Indianapolis that is looking for its revitalization.

The site relationships to the adjacencies are important to understand as these relationships build up the connectivity to the surrounding site and begins to integrate the project into the fabric of the city. For this site in particular, understanding the area’s industrial past and the material palette that was synonymous not with the area but the larger history of Indianapolis, influenced the brick and mortar post-industrial choice for materials. This was something that continued on the site as the roof of the stadium is different shape, material and color than the mixed-use buildings surrounding it allowing the stadium to contrast and become highlighted by the change. Beyond material choices, understanding the surrounding context also highlighted the height and density for which the project would have. With most of the structures around the site being at most four to five stories tall, except for Lucas Oil Stadium which towers over the area at 270 feet, it made sense for most of the buildings on site to be around the four to five story height. This allowed the stadium to be the tallest structure on site, peeking over the surrounding buildings and drawing people to the site. The relationships between the site itself and its context have been an important aspect of impacting and completing the design exploration.

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Reflections Development Process

Improving the Design

Overall Thoughts

At the beginning of the process I struggled to wrap my head around the angle I wanted to approach this specific project. For myself there was a constant want to explore stadium design, specifically in urban areas and how they affect cities. I initially used the design partis a base for the design. They were tweaked and combined into a hybrid approach that included element from all three. But it was not until I began to understand and implement Urbanism concepts and ideas that led me to thinking about the project as an architecture and an urban design solution.

When looking at the project and what I believe could be improved a couple things jump to mind. The first one would be cleaning up and designing the entirety of the stadium.

With such a large scale project some areas received less attention than others, one of these was the interior of the stadium, primarily the circulation corridors. These spaces are key to the experience within the stadium as these corridors and landings are the community within the stadium and are key for cultivating activity.

The project was definitely a challenge, primarily due to the nature of stadiums already being a large project type but then also attempting to tackle site buildings as well. But after some initial struggles with finding what kinds of principles would guide my design, the project became quite enjoyable as I was thoroughly invested in the process and the design decisions. I also enjoyed taking the design from the computer and modeling it physically, although to unforeseen circumstance I was unable to detail out the areas I wanted to.

The second improvement that I would look to make would be an improvement of the site buildings and how the urban design principles influence them. There are areas and site buildings where the design of the spaces were more influenced by personal design decisions that clashed at times with the guiding principles.

These principles are the driving factor and I believe the design should directly influenced by the principles and then adding the layers of design onto the base.

This thesis was a project I was proud to tackle as it let me explore and understand what goes into the development and design of a sports stadium and how it can change an area when the proper steps are taken in the design process. I believe at times I got lost in the details of things but overall was able to produce a very solid project I am proud of.

After I was able to figure out this idea of the urban design approach and identified my underlining design principles, the design began to develop into a more complete design. It was at this point that the project became more than just a stadium but an intervention that looked at the larger context to understand the modern urban landscape and what people are looking for in cities today. This was my goal from the beginning of the process and I was excited and happy to reach this point in the process.

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Feedback Security Measures

Focus on Stadium

Weather Analysis

The final presentation brought up some questions as it regards to the safety and security of the stadium. Specifically what types of measures would be in place from a planning and architectural standpoint to further protect users when the attend games on site.

The jury also would have liked to see less of a focus on the designing of the context buildings and put that effort into a more complete stadium design. Keeping the context buildings as massings would allow for a couple of benefits I was not able to see till after the review.

The way a stadium of this magnitude can provide security measures is through a layered security approach. This would require security checkpoints at the main entries to the site, this would allow for people to be screened at the edge of the site before they are able to move into the site. The second part of the layering takes place at the entrance of the stadium itself, this is a rather routine procedure and it would help increase the accuracy of the original scans. This strategy is illustrated below to begin to explore how this would work on the site.

The second reason would allow for easy manipulation to the massings so if changes are needed to be made. These changes can happen almost instantaneously allowing the urban design principles to be played with in order to reach a coherent design solution.

Another point brought up during the review was highlighting more of a site conditions study looking at things like prevailing wind conditions and sun angle. With stadiums being such a large facility it is important for yearly weather patterns and sun angles to be understood.

First, if the buildings are kept as massings and Correct understanding and analysis of the site the materials similar it would allow landscaping conditions allows for a proper design of field and the stadium to show clearer in the graphics. orientation and how the design intervention can This would make it easier to understand the can take advantage of the given conditions. stadium as it sits in relationship to the other For the site, there was a strong presence of massings easier as there is no material conflict. weather, both wind and sun, from the south side of the site. This is reflected in not only the stadium roof design and layout and but the way that the context structures were able to take advantage of the positives of the conditions while being able to shelter users from the worst that the is brought to the site.

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Bibliography 1. Perry, Dayn. “The White Sox Ballpark in Chicago That Never Was and Could Have Changed History.” CBSSports.com, July 11, 2018. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/the-white-sox-ballpark-in- chicago-that-never-was-and-could-have-changed-history/.

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.

5. Pinho, Kirk. “Is The District Detroit Delivering?” Crain’s Detroit Business, March 3, 2019. https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/district- detroit-delivering.

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Image Credits 1. Cookie-cutter stadiums of the 1960s maximized standardization and flexibility while minimizing everything else. (2016). Retrieved from http://www. lifeimitatescode.com/evolution-of-baseball-stadiums-inform-web-design 2. NBC Sports. NBC Sports. NBC , September 13, 2019. https://www. nbcsports.com/bayarea/raiders/raiders-ready-say-goodbye-oakland-coliseum-infield-dirt-vs-chiefs.

3. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4266738/Chelsea-Stamford-Bridge-picture-special-s-changed.html 4. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.minnpost.com/minnesota-blog-cabin/2015/04/building-mixed-use-neighborhood-stadium/ 5. Oriole Park with Hilton Hotel. (2015). Retrieved from http://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2015/04/oriole-park-at-camden-yards-still-model. htm 6. HKS Architects (2015). Retrieved from http://laramstoday.com/ hks-sports-and-entertainment-display-detailed-stadium-renderings/ 7. Exterior Perspective Drawing. After Burnham. Accessed October 1, 2019. http://afterburnham.com/armour-field/.

8. Armour Field Site Plan. After Burnham. Accessed October 1, 2019. http:// afterburnham.com/armour-field/.

9. Armour Field Site Plan. After Burnham. Accessed October 1, 2019. http:// afterburnham.com/armour-field/.

10. (2020). Retrieved from https://blog.ticketmaster.com/step-inside-bankers-life-fieldhouse-in-indianapolis/ 11. (2016). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucas_Oil_Stadium 12. Watson, J. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.indystar.com/story/ sports/2016/07/10/happy-20th-birthday-victory-field/86817902/ 13. Viquez, M. (2017). Retrieved from https://stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/ carroll-stadium-s1976/l 14. The original Mile Square plat, overlaid with the extents of population in 1823, 1835, and 1850. (2011). Retrieved from https://historicindianapolis.com/reminiscences-of-amos-hanway/ 15. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://historicindianapolis.com/wp-content/

uploads/2014/08/1914.Sanborn.map_.jpg

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