Dallas Cowboys Stadium Ready For the 2009 Season
The new Cowboys Stadium opens Saturday with George Strait instead of Tony Romo, a substitution that says a lot about sports architecture these days.
Ten years ago, pro football stadiums were still mainly for football. They hosted a dozen or so games, including playoffs, plus a scattering of high school contests, rock concerts and rallies for this and that. The rest of the year they were as empty as luxury condos in a recession.
Originally estimated to cost $650 million, the stadium's current construction cost was $1.15 billion, making it one of the most expensive sports venues ever built.
Likewise, the demand for more bars, clubs, restaurants and so-called promotional spaces - Cowboys Stadium has 300,000 square feet of them, most in the NFL - means bigger concourses, bulkier buildings and potentially serious circulation problems.
The City of Arlington provided $325 million in funding, and Jones covered any cost overruns. Also, the NFL provided the Cowboys with an additional $150 million, as per their policy for giving teams a certain lump sum of money for stadium financing.
The upper concourses, on the other hand, provide plenty of maneuvering room along with panoramic views of the sprawling suburban landscape. Those on the lower levels seem more cramped, like obstacle courses, especially around the VIP lounges, where millionaires shake hands with billionaires and Joe Fan has to detour around them to get where he wants to go.
There was also a petition by some fans to have the stadium named after longtime Cowboys coach Tom Landry. On May 13, 2009, Jerry Jones announced the official name; the Cowboys Stadium.
At the same time, one of the major successes of the stadium is its transparency. Fans have clear, unobstructed views up, down and across the seating bowl to the not-so-scenic parking lots beyond.
Ten years ago, pro football stadiums were still mainly for football. They hosted a dozen or so games, including playoffs, plus a scattering of high school contests, rock concerts and rallies for this and that. The rest of the year they were as empty as luxury condos in a recession.
Originally estimated to cost $650 million, the stadium's current construction cost was $1.15 billion, making it one of the most expensive sports venues ever built.
Likewise, the demand for more bars, clubs, restaurants and so-called promotional spaces - Cowboys Stadium has 300,000 square feet of them, most in the NFL - means bigger concourses, bulkier buildings and potentially serious circulation problems.
The City of Arlington provided $325 million in funding, and Jones covered any cost overruns. Also, the NFL provided the Cowboys with an additional $150 million, as per their policy for giving teams a certain lump sum of money for stadium financing.
The upper concourses, on the other hand, provide plenty of maneuvering room along with panoramic views of the sprawling suburban landscape. Those on the lower levels seem more cramped, like obstacle courses, especially around the VIP lounges, where millionaires shake hands with billionaires and Joe Fan has to detour around them to get where he wants to go.
There was also a petition by some fans to have the stadium named after longtime Cowboys coach Tom Landry. On May 13, 2009, Jerry Jones announced the official name; the Cowboys Stadium.
At the same time, one of the major successes of the stadium is its transparency. Fans have clear, unobstructed views up, down and across the seating bowl to the not-so-scenic parking lots beyond.
About the Author:
Neven Middlesby has been a fan of the Dallas Cowboys for over thirty years. He maintains a blog that is about the dallas cowboys stadium and will be at every game the Cowboys play. He will blog about each game at the newdallas cowboys stadium.
