This year, the World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada in sixteen host cities, with the Championship match played in East Rutherford, NJ, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Forty-eight teams will play in the World Cup. The players are among the most talented and dedicated athletes in the world. But there is another talented and dedicated group of people making sure the players and fans have the experience of a lifetime. Those people are the architects who design the sports venues, the playing surfaces, the locker rooms and the training areas, etc. They also design the concession areas, the concourse, and other public amenities within the sporting venue. Beyond that, the architects also design the hotel where you stay, the restaurant where you eat, the airport you travel through, and more.
Furthermore, architects are not only shaping these professional venues where the penultimate games will be played, but also involved in facilities for colleges, high schools, and your local club sport teams.
So, the next time you think of the dedication, commitment, and skill necessary to make remarkable plays on the pitch, remember a dedicated and skilled team of architects helped bring the facilities to life where the athletes shine.
Bruce D. Turner, AIA – Architect
AIA NJ World Cup Initiative Co-Chair