Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
Sporting venues are the center of a region. They host world-class performing artists, massive conventions, premier college athletic championships and more. They are more than stadiums. They are active epicenters of humanity.
For Lucas Oil Stadium, our goal was to make a place for all that would feel like home, regardless of the event. In addition to Colts games, the facility has hosted the NCAA Final Four, Bands of America, Big Ten Championships and countless other major events.
The Vision and The Design
The design incorporates many elements unique to Indiana and its history as a sports powerhouse. The brick, steel and glass structure reflects the traditional forms and historical feel of the state’s venerable collegiate and high school basketball arenas. From an architectural standpoint, the facility is noteworthy for its retractable roof and seating bowl configuration that accentuates its distinct look and further enhances its function.
Drawing on architectural energy from the city’s and state’s rich heritage, the Lucas Oil Stadium design imparts a civility to conjure a turn-of-the-century aesthetic for one of the most distinctive, multi-use mega-venues in the world. This landmark combines a palette of simple forms and materials indigenous to the region to create a fitting contextual expression for the city of Indianapolis. The design portrays purity of form, structural expression, functional clarity and the integration of cutting-edge technological materials, methods and equipment. The design for the stadium reflects Indiana’s rich sports heritage while enhancing its urban, downtown Indianapolis location.
Commercially, the Indianapolis marketplace created some unique challenges for the viability of a stadium from a sponsorship and premium-seating product perspective. As a “middle market,” the potential sponsor pool did not necessarily include the national or international prospects that can bring larger commitments. HKS’s approach was to design a much broader range of assets that many regional businesses would have interest in sponsoring.