WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Design concepts and renderings for a new Washington Commanders stadium at D.C.’s RFK site were approved by the National Capital Planning Commission during a meeting Thursday afternoon.
Renderings from HKS Architects showed different angles and facades of the stadium, painting a more complete picture of Washington’s future skyline when the project is expected to be complete in 2030.
(HKS Architects)
(HKS Architects)
(HKS Architects)
(HKS Architects)
(HKS Architects)
“This is not a spaceship in a parking lot, this is a thoughtfully designed campus,” said project executive Brian Hanlon.
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The main structure, modeled after DC’s monuments and memorials, plus the domed roof, would sit about 195 feet high. That’s right around 100 feet shorter than the U.S. Capitol down the street.
Today, HKS reps said the dome could be made of the same thin, tough plastic material used at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, known as ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE).
“Having not missed a home game in two decades, the fact that there is a roof, I’m excited not to get rained on,” said Commanders superfan “Tailgate Ted” Abela, who attended Thursday’s meeting. “It just feels more real, they’re really taking their time to make sure they’re not bringing a monstrosity to the city, but paying homage to the past.”
Design plans are still in the early stages, with the stadium’s column design, the surrounding plaza areas, where parking structures may stand, and the possibility of expanding the nearby Stadium-Armory Metro station still up in the air.
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