San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
SoFi Stadium’s San Antonio roots
Lead architect, a Churchill grad, explains its space-age marvels, recalls growing up here
When the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals take the field for Super Bowl LVI today, SoFi Stadium will provide the swoopy, sparkling, futuristic backdrop. The $5 billion, 3.1 million-squarefoot stadium in Inglewood, Calif., is so sleek and modern, David Letterman once said it looks like a space station.
Open since September 2020, the space-age style starts on the outside with a canopy made of a translucent polymer that floats above the stadium proper and helps protect fans from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Shaped like a triangle, it also has panels that can be opened to channel cooling ocean breezes into the stadium. Embedded with LEDs, it can also project video visible from airplanes flying into nearby Los Angeles International airport.
Inside, the most whiz-bang feature is the 2.2 millionpound, dual-sided Infinity Screen by Samsung video board hanging from the ceiling. According to a Samsung news release, the video board “features the most LEDs ever used in a sports or entertainment venue, but also has the first and only 4K, end-to-end video production in a stadium.”
SoFi sets the bar for all future sports venues. And it’s also got a San Antonio connection.
Lance Evans, the lead architect of the 70,000-seat
stadium, is a graduate of Churchill High School, Class of ’99. Now a principal and sports director with Dallasbased architecture firm HKS, Evans also worked on the Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium and the Minnesota Vikings’ U.S. Bank Stadium . He lives in Southern California with his family.
We caught up with Evans to find out more about the stadium’s design and how he became an architect. This interview has been edited for
length and clarity.
Q: What does it mean to be the lead architect on a project of this magnitude?
A:
It means I was in charge of leading the design team across the entirety of the project, which for me started in 2014. My leadership set the tone and the trajectory of the design, and the team made sure that trajectory was maintained throughout the process.
Q: The look of the stadium is so striking. How did it come about?
A: It’s an authentic representation of Southern California. The form of the building reflects the energy of the ocean waves, the curves of the coastline, the fluid nature of the city and the surroundings. The stadium has many layers, like the city where it’s located.
Q: How did the open, oval shape of the Infinity Screen happen?
A:
(Los Angeles Rams owner Stan) Kroenke wanted as much natural light to flow into the building as possible. So the screen’s shape acts as a giant window allowing that light in. At the same time, the elliptical shape allowed us to push the video content closer to the fans in the stands.
The Infinity also allows for multiple feeds. So, for example, before and after the game, the stadium becomes the ultimate sports bar as people can watch several different games going on.
Q: I’ve heard the roof cover takes advantage of the stadium’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean.
A:
We designed the canopy to make the stadium passively ventilated. It has a series of panels that, depending on the wind, temperature and humidity, can be opened and closed to promote the maximum airflow throughout the stadium.
Q: Most people are going to experience the Super Bowl on television. What did you do to make it look good on TV?
A:
Designing for the HD world we live in was very important. We wanted it so that anytime somebody watches a game on TV, they instantly recognize that it’s SoFi stadium.
The features that do that are the asymmetrical seating bowl and both the Infinity
Q: Were you born and raised in San Antonio, or did you move here as a child?
A: Born and raised. I went to Braun Station Elementary
and Churchill High School. We moved away for a little bit in the middle of my childhood, but came back for high school. My parents still live in San Antonio.
Q: Where did your interest in architecture come from?
A:
My parents would tell you I wanted to be an architect
from the time I was 4. I was always building forts in the backyard, nailing pieces of wood into trees. As I got older, I was always fascinated with the creation of space and the impact of buildings. I would ask, you know, who created that?
Churchill offered a course in architecture, drafting, which I took. And that also started my curiosity
with the profession.
Q: What are your thoughts about the architecture of San Antonio?
A:
I’ve always viewed the city through a romantic lens. I love the authenticity of the River Walk or in the beautiful houses in Alamo Heights and the King William District. Then there’s the way local architects have reinterpreted that in new, contemporary fashions. That’s always resonated with me, and it’s something that really inspires me when I come back to visit. Their use of texture, color, the play of light and shadow can really resonate and connect you with a place, such as the contemporary homes of a firm like Lake | Flato. That’s really inspiring.
I also love the (Central) Library. I would always
wonder how (designer Ricardo) Legorreta convinced the city they should build something like that. It’s a building that makes a wonderful statement about the connection to the community and the culture.
Q: What do you remember about growing up in San Antonio?
A:
I’m a die-hard Spurs fan. Have been from the days of Terry Cummings and David Robinson, up through the championship years. I was there for the first championship (in 1999), stuck on Interstate 10 in a traffic jam where we got out of our cars to celebrate.
And my favorite restaurant of all time has to be the Alamo Cafe. They have the best tortillas and queso. That’s the one place I always go when I come back
to San Antonio.
Q: What would it mean if you were called in to design a football stadium in San Antonio? And what would such a stadium look like?
A:
The ability to create a place that could bring a community and a city together in a place that is so near and dear to me would be a tremendous opportunity. I don’t know exactly what a stadium would look like, but I can tell you, it would be a unique reflection of the city and the fans of our great city.
Q: And what about the Super Bowl? Are you going?
A:
Let’s just say I’m gonna find my way into that building.