When Camden Yards, the then-new home of the Baltimore Orioles, hosted its first game in April 1992, it was easy to walk around the brick-covered ballpark and believe you had stumbled into the Babe Ruth era. Designed to blend in with the surrounding warehouses by Populous, a firm that specialized in stadium work, Camden Yards set off a trend for retro ballparks that continues to this day. But recent advances in video and construction technology have tilted stadium design forward, ushering in an era of adventurous, even sustainable arenas and ballparks (consider the oversized video screen of the Dallas Cowboys, or the retractable field at the University of Phoenix). Competition from the increasingly sophisticated home viewing experience, and the drive to erect bigger and better civic temples to pro sports, have kickstarted a new era in design (which, it should be noted, aren't always the best municipal investments). Here are some forthcoming examples of stadium designs in North America that often prove there's often more to look at the game than simply the game at hand.
This post has been updated to include two more game-changing stadiums
・A Viking Ship in Minneapolis? No, It's Just the U.S. Bank Stadium [Curbed]
・Zaha Hadid Doubles Down on Tokyo Stadium in New Video [Curbed]
・See the Chargers and Raiders Pitch to the NFL to Build a Ridiculous Stadium in Carson [Curbed LA]
・Is This The World's Coolest Contemporary Soccer Stadium? [Curbed]
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