FC Cincinnati continue to take big steps forward as they prepare to join MLS in 2019.
On Tuesday, the club released initial renderings of its soon-to-be-built West End Stadium. The renderings were approved by club ownership last Friday.
Designed by Meis Architects and supported locally by Elevar, the stadium's capacity is estimated between 25,500 and 26,000, with the maximum height proposed to be less than 120 feet.
Prominent features include a canopy roof configured around the entire bowl to cover all seating rows, which is intended to enhance the fan experience inside the stadium while suppressing noise externally.
The façades of the roof and stadium are equipped with Ethylene Tetrafluoro-ethylene (ETFE) foil technology, allowing for varying colors and patterns to be displayed on the translucent surface.
Cincinnati’s designated supporters section, the Bailey, will preside over the north end of the stadium. The seating capacity is set to nearly double the 1,700 seats allotted at the club’s current home, Nippert Stadium.
Renderings offer a first look inside FC Cincinnati's new MLS stadium | Meis Architects
“We’re thrilled with the concept design for our West End Stadium and all of the work done by Meis and Elevar,” FC Cincinnati president and general manager Jeff Berding said. “We’ve received tremendous support from the West End and the Design Committee and we believe we’re bringing a transformational stadium to Cincinnati. We know that the design process will continue and our final product will likely continue to evolve, but we are proud to share our updated plans.
“We believe our West End stadium will be a catalyst for the neighborhood, but also help position Cincinnati as a ‘City on the Rise’ on both a national and international scale.”
Tuesday’s release of renderings is part of the first of four design stages. Formal construction on the $250 million stadium is expected to begin in 2019, with the opening scheduled for March 2021.
