By the time the $200 million Red Bull Arena opened in March in Harrison, N.J., the project had seen two owners, several financing plans, and multiple designs. But the 25,000-seat soccer stadium – capped by an undulating 360-degree cantilevered fabric roof – was still spot on goal, winning the Best of 2010 jury’s nod for sports project of the year.
Originally conceived seven years ago as a simpler $80 million facility, the new home of Major League Soccer’s Red Bull New York draws inspiration from a sister structure that its owner, energy drink company Red Bull GmbH, operates in Austria. The new facility evokes a “very European aesthetic” with sleek materials, field-level media seats, 7,500 sq ft of communal lounges around 30 luxury suites and 1,000 club seats, and the signature sculpted roof covering all of the seats, says Andrew Leeson, associate at Rossetti, the architect.