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Atlanta's Georgia Dome became the official home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons almost 24 years ago. Upon its opening in 1992, the massive structure held a capacity of 80,000, and was hailed as the largest domed structure in the world. Though this title has since been snatched away, the Georgia Dome remains the largest cable-supported dome in the world.
Despite its engineering accomplishments, many consider the indoor stadium to be well past the shrinking average lifespan of professional sporting venues, and unfit for hosting high-value events like the Super Bowl. Plans for a replacement stadium were first considered in 2011, and by late 2012, a design by HOK Architects had been approved for a site immediately south of the Georgia Dome. Ground was officially broken for Mercedes-Benz Stadium back in March of 2014, and in the almost two years since, the stadium's concrete superstructure has been largely completed, and work has begun on the crystalline retractable roof structure above.
At a projected price of $1.4 billion, the future home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and MLS' Atlanta United FC will feature a seating capacity of up to 83,000, sheltered by a 4.5-acre retractable roof composed of eight translucent camera-lens style petals built with a high-tech, lightweight plastic polymer. The roof will be capable of opening or closing in the span of about seven minutes. The stadium will also feature a video display screen with a surface area of 63,800 feet and a 58-foot-tall scoreboard.
A time-lapse video recently released on the project's website reveals the full process of construction from June 2014 up until the end of December 2015.
Construction is expected to be complete in time for the 2017 NFL season.
What do you think about this new stadium? Let us know by leaving a comment at the bottom of this page, or visit the Forum thread dedicated to the project. Additional pictures and information about this project are available in the corresponding Database file, linked below.
