FC Cincinnati Officials Unveil West End Stadium Design The coming stadium will have a unique shell made of 513 fins designed to allow visibility into the structure from its east side
FC Cincinnati/PopulousFC Cincinnati officials today unveiled designs for the team's $250 million Major League Soccer stadium in Cincinnati's West End. The design for the exterior shell of the stadium features 513 external fins with LED lighting that will create a distinctive wave-like structure and allow visibility into the stadium. The structure's west side, which faces the West End's residential areas, will have a more traditional solid construction to abate noise and light concerns and blend better into the neighborhood. The stadium will also have a 360-degree canopy covering all seating in the structure and further shielding noise and light, team officials say. The stadium was designed by Populous, a New York-based architecture firm that has drawn up a number of other MLS stadiums around the country. “There’s a dedication and authenticity to soccer in Cincinnati that rivals any city in the U.S.," Populous Senior Principal Jonathan Mallie said. "Our design for FC Cincinnati harnesses the energy of the fans to create a world-class soccer atmosphere.” The stadium's design took into consideration a number of fan requests, team representatives say. The entryway will feature a 100-foot-wide stairway from Central Parkway for the large "March to the Match" processions dedicated fans undertake before every game. Its concourses will be 30 feet wide — twice the width of those found at the team's current home at Nippert Stadium.