49er South Bay Stadium Plan Revealed
By JOE KUKURA
Updated 6:30 AM PST, Wed, Jun 17, 2009
The architectural firm designing the 49ers proposed Santa Clara stadium is planning to put some revolutionary bells, whistles, and high-tech amenities onto the ballpark if it's approved. Artists' sketches released in the San Jose Mercury News show the proposed stadium would be an an ultramodern facility making an unprecedented strides in it's earth-friendly and rich-people-friendly design.
Details of the stadium design published in the Mercury News show that design firm HNTB Architecture hopes to spruce up this park with amenities that reflect the Bay Area's high-tech, green-conscious bent. The place would be partially powered by 20,000 square feet of solar panels. The stadium would be exceptionally open-air, with the exterior more open because of fewer walls and more rod and cable supports. The one prominent wall would be a monolithic white slab housing stacks and stacks of high-end luxury suites, air conditioned by a "green roof" of living plants whose condensation somehow cools the structure they're on which they're growing. I have no idea how that would work, but they also have one of these things at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate park and it supposedly works fine.
HNTB representatives say the facility would recreate the "ambiance" of the John York's Alma mater Notre Dame Stadium, though plans do not contain designs for a "Touchdown Jesus". Maybe in this multicultural Bay Area, the stadium could have "touchdown dieties" honoring the whole slew of different faiths and religions.
The facility would also include 10,000 square feet of Grade A office space to rent to Bay Area companies. Many employees of these companies might be surprisingly willing to work Sunday afternoons!
Nervous San Franciscans might roll their eyes or mock some of these unconventional stadium amenities. But Santa Clara has some solid, actionable designs for a 49ers stadium, and that's something that San Francisco can't currently offer.
Joe Kukura is a freelance writer who just wants to know if they're planning to serve garlic fries.
First Published: Jun 16, 2009 5:44 PM PST
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