American soccer side Phoenix Rising FC has announced it will partner with architect firms Populous and Gould Evans to design its proposed new stadium as it continues its efforts to be chosen as an expansion team for Major League Soccer (MLS).
Currently playing in the United Soccer League, the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, Phoenix Rising FC appointed the two award-winning firms from a countrywide search for stadium proposals.
“It was important for us to make sure that the selected firm really understood our needs,” said Brett Johnson, co-chairman for Phoenix Rising FC.
“We need to build a stadium that will be comfortable for both the fans and players, so it was crucial that the winning architectural design team understood the challenges and opportunities associated with the Sonoran Desert.
“We conducted months of analysis with multiple organizations to ensure we were picking the ideal companies for the job and we could not be more excited or confident in this partnership. This announcement represents another milestone in Phoenix Rising’s ‘Rising is Ready for MLS’ campaign.”
Populous, a global architecture firm, is well-experienced in sports stadia having designed seven MLS venues and more than 70 soccer stadia – including the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London in the UK.
“Phoenix Rising fans deserve a state-of-the-art MLS stadium, and we couldn’t be more excited to create that environment,” said Scott Capstack, principal at Populous. “We will bring the best of our global soccer design experience to this wonderfully exciting project.”
Gould Evans will bring technical know-how to the project, with the Phoenix-based firm able to draw upon its local knowledge and expertise to create designs to provide tactical shade and maximizing ventilation for the desert-based stadium.
“Part of designing the optimal desert soccer experience includes employing heat mitigation tactics through a carefully choreographed strategy,” said Krista Shepherd principal for Gould Evans. “As Phoenicians, we are calibrated to living with the sun, and we know what is needed to make comfortable outdoor places.”
The club, which is co-owned by former Chelsea FC star Didier Drogba, plans to privately finance the project and to open its doors by the 2021 MLS season, should it receive expansion into the top-tier league.
January 24, 2018
