Sports Talk

Stadium architecture nerd post: which grounds are actually well designed?

Architecture student here, and I've spent too many lectures sketching stadium roofs instead of listening.

For me the best stadium designs do three things: they keep the noise in, they give good sightlines from cheap seats, and they connect to the city instead of sitting in a giant car park.

Steep single stands like the famous 'walls' of fans in German grounds are brilliant for noise. Old English grounds squeezed between terraced houses are charming but often have pillars blocking the view. Many new American stadiums are amazing inside but you need a car to reach them.

Which stadium have you visited that felt great to be inside? And which one felt like an airport with a pitch in it?