Midterms

So I have been quite busy the last few weeks, as seen in my lack of postings. Midterms were last week, and I think I clarified my thesis for both myself and my committee.





Public vs. Private Revenue - Todays sports stadium are largely funded through private backers and public tax subsidies. A disturbing trend of overly expensive stadiums has emerged in the last few years, and the public has been carrying the burden. As gross stadium construction costs rise rapidly, so will gross taxpayer costs. For their new stadiums in their respective cities, New Yorkers had to pony up more than $200 million, San Diegans roughly $400 million, and D.C. residents pumped out about $611 million. With the public shouldering roughly half the cost, why don't these ballparks provide more public features? With most benefits being seen by private ventures through stadium revenue and rising ticket costs, the average man can barely afford to attend todays game. To require to have the public keep paying high percentages of each stadium is ludicrous unless there is a way to have the stadium benefit everyone, everyday.








Public Park- We need to change the way we think about stadiums. Stadiums have become too private in nature, becoming large social clubs for the considerable wealthy and homages too a nation of overexcess. We must look at the stadium as what it really is, a large plot of land that recreation takes place
and seating to view this recreation. By opening up the stadium to the public during off hours, we essentially create a public park for recreation and leisure. The stadium can then become more integrated within the urban fabric, as well as become a meaningful space for the residents of the city.






Technology- Today's technology can help us with this transformation from public to private functions with relative ease and lower cost then the past. RFK
Stadium, which was originally used for both baseball and football games, costs $40,000 to switch between the two configurations. The systems of the past, track seating and air cushion seating, are still used today. With the technology we have today, we can create better, cheaper alternatives that transform stadiums. The aim of this thesis will be to discover these technologies and implement them architecturally to make a building that can transform and respond to it's immediate environment.






Flexibility- With these technologies in place, the building will be able to host an array of different functions throughout the week, both public and private. This will generate the revenue needed for the advanced technologies implemented. It will also generate a dynamic quality socially, which will benefit the city. In theory, you could host a game one day, open the stadium to the public the next morning, and transform the stadium into a concert venue by the evening.