The land of unbridled LED possibilities: Two new stadium plans in the USA show that huge LED walls still have plenty of potential in the world of sport.
It’s true that everything is bigger in the USA. While European projects may be technically very advanced, their US counterparts excel in size, especially in sports installations. This is particularly evident in sports stadiums, where huge LEDs are almost standard.
This is also demonstrated by two projects that were recently presented to the public: One for a typical US sport and one that is – as yet – more associated with Europe.
LED canopy for Athletics
The new stadium for the Oakland Athletics baseball team, with trial designs unveiled in early March, is set to be built in Las Vegas with companies BIG and HNTB involved in planning, design, and architecture. Designed to seat 33,000 spectators, the stadium features a design roof, a huge cable net glass window, and a gigantic, curved LED wall spanning over 1,600 square meters, which would be the largest screen in the MLB, baseball’s top league.
LED cube for New York
The other project is from a sports sector that would be more likely to be found in Europe on this scale: a new stadium in New York that is designed specifically for professional football matches is set to become the home of New York City FC, currently playing at the Yankees’ baseball stadium. The stadium, equipped with 25,000 seats, is expected to be completed by 2027. Its central eye-catcher, “The Cube,” will be a huge, seven-storey-high cube lined with LEDs serving as the entrance, along with a large LED wall for scores and information on the pitch.
Both projects are in their initial planning stages, and a lot of water will flow down the Mississippi before they are actually built. However, they demonstrate a growing appetite in the sports sector for large LED systems to enhance the spectator experience. Additional digital signage is also planned for both projects, including digital menus for food stands.
Europe also boasts spectacular sports installations, especially in football. Specialists like Ledcon or the recently founded Trison unit for sports stadiums are particularly active in this field.
