bjarke ingels shapes las vegas ballpark with sculptural shells

a new baseball stadium for las vegas

The famed Las Vegas Strip will soon be the home of a new ballpark for the Oakland A’s by architecture firms Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and HNTB. Once complete, the project will be the future home of Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics. Taking inspiration from Las Vegas‘ vibrant atmosphere, the ballpark will be an open-air space with panoramic views of the desert city’s skyline. This 33,000-seat covered stadium will occupy a nine-acre plot on Las Vegas Boulevard between Tropicana and Reno Avenues. Scheduled to open in spring 2028, the project marks a renewed collaboration between BIG and the Athletics, following an earlier ballpark design proposed for Oakland, California in 2018 (see designboom’s coverage here).

image © Mir

a dome roof for ambient light and framed views

Bjarke Ingels Groups’ new ballpark, designed with HNTB for Las Vegas, will be instantly recognized by its sculptural roof. Five overlapping shells, are designed to resemble ‘baseball pennants,’ and will provide shade for players while allowing indirect natural light to filter through clerestory windows oriented towards the north. The domed structure will also host the world’s largest cable net glass wall, framing uninterrupted views of Las Vegas. The building’s exterior will be wrapped in metallic panels that will shimmer in the sunlight and reflect the city’s dazzling lights at night.

John Fisher, Managing Partner & Owner, Athletics comments: ‘BIG’s revolutionary design, created in collaboration with HNTB, represents a captivating ballpark concept, seamlessly blending innovation and technology with an enhanced fan experience. We are very excited to share the work of our design team with the entire Southern Nevada community.’

image © Mir

the breezy, climate controlled space

Fans will enter the ballpark through an elevated outdoor plaza, which Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and HNTB connect with bridges spanning Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue. This entrance will lead directly to the main concourse, where a large glass atrium will open toward the cityscape. This design ensures optimal navigation and will allow arriving fans to immediately take in the entire field and seating arrangement. Secondary entrances on the north and south sides will feature ‘bouncing’ arches, promoting accessibility and a connection to the outdoors. Once inside, visitors will be greeted by bright and airy atria that will double as multi-purpose exhibition spaces showcasing local and international art.

Inspired by historic ballparks like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, the tiered seating design with split upper and lower bowls brings spectators closer to the action than in traditional stadiums. Every seat is designed to offer unobstructed sight lines. An innovative air-conditioning system ensures efficient and eco-friendly cooling by distributing cool air directly to the seats rather than from the ceiling.

image © Negativ

Bjarke Ingels comments: ‘Our design for the new Vegas home for the A’s is conceived in response to the unique culture and climate of the city. Five pennant arches enclose the ballpark – shading from the Nevada sun while opening to the soft daylight from the north. A giant window frames a majestic view of the life of The Strip and the iconic New York New York hotel skyline. All direct sunlight is blocked, while all the soft daylight is allowed to wash the field in natural light.

The resultant architecture is like a spherical armadillo — shaped by the local climate — while opening and inviting the life of The Strip to enter and explore. In the city of spectacle, the A’s ‘armadillo’ is designed for passive shading and natural light — the architectural response to the Nevada climate generating a new kind of vernacular icon in Vegas.’

image © Negativ

Daniel Sundlin, Partner, BIG, continues: ‘Our new A’s Ballpark in Las Vegas is designed to celebrate baseball and become a destination for fans from all over the world. The ballpark will be a climate-controlled, state-of-the-art facility that will house a variety of events and guest experiences. By opening up the roof structure, we’re capturing the energy of the iconic Las Vegas Strip and creating a unique synergy between its events and the surrounding city.’

project info:

project title: Athletics Ballpark

architecture: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), HNTB

location: Las Vegas, Nevada

size: 33,000 capacity

completion: expected 2028

client: Athletics
collaborators: HNTB, Thornton Tomasetti, Henderson Engineers, CAA ICON, Mortenson, McCarthy, Atelier Ten, RWDI, Kimley-Horn, Systematica, WJHW, Jensen Hughes, HKA, WSP, FP&C, Chicago Flyhouse, Duray Duncan, Ed Roether Consulting, Morean

BIG team:
partners-in-charge: Bjarke Ingels, Daniel Sundlin
project manager: Aran Coakley
project leaders: Frankie Sharpe, Jan Klaska, Ricardo Palma
team: Ahmad Tabbakh, Alan Maedo, Bernardo Schuhmacher, Catrina Nelson, Don Chen, Douglass Alligood, Ema Bakalova, Hongye Wu, Hudson Parris, Jeff Tao, Margaret Tyrpa, Matthew Lau, Paul Heberle, Pooya Aledavood, Sunghwan Um, Thomas McMurtrie, Yuzaburo Tanaka

HNTB team:
principal-in-charge: Lanson Nichols
project director: Brad Albers
project leaders: Emily Louchart, Jeff Goode
team: Stephanie Schneidereit, Bryan Rincon, Phil Perkins, Donovan Brook, Jack Swezy, Jimena Dorador, Robbie Powell