BIG’s stadium in Las Vegas is a giant metallic armadillo

A new, disruptive architectural gesture has been added to the bubbly and eclectic Las Vegas skyline. It is the new Athletics Ballpark, designed by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and HNTB currently under construction in the world's entertainment capital and the first ballpark designed by BIG. “This groundbreaking is a great milestone for our almost decade-long collaboration with the A’s. It marks the end of a long journey to find the new home for the A’s and, on a personal note, the groundbreaking of our first baseball stadium. The A’s Armadillo is unlike any other ballpark, and will not only be a great home for the team and the sport, but also a striking new architectural character in the string of pearls along the Las Vegas Strip”, says Bjarke Ingels, founder and creative director of BIG. Situated on an area of almost three hectares and with a capacity of 33,000 seats, the stadium's volume consists of five gigantic overlapping shells reminiscent of an armadillo's armour, inspired by baseball pennants in homage to the tradition of this sport, which on the one hand emphasise the building's imposing and sculptural prominence (in the “BIG”’s style) and on the other hand soften the glare of direct sunlight and let in indirect natural light through the skylight windows facing north. On the façade, a glass wall with wire mesh expands and multiplies the views towards The Strip. In the kaleidoscope of sensory input that the urban scenario produces, the complex does not hold back in terms of spectacularity, animating itself with vibrant chiaroscuro effects: by day, the structure's metal cladding shimmers in the desert sun; at night, it reflects the dazzling lights of Las Vegas.

As Bjarke Ingels states: “Our design for the new Vegas home for the A’s is conceived in response to the unique culture and climate of the city. Five pennant arches enclose the ballpark, shading from the Nevada sun while opening to the soft daylight from the north. A giant window frames a majestic view of the life of The Strip (...). All direct sunlight is blocked, while all the soft daylight is allowed to wash the field in natural light. The resultant architecture is like a spherical armadillo – shaped by the local climate – while opening and inviting the life of The Strip to enter and explore (…) The architectural response to the Nevada climate generating a new kind of vernacular icon in Vegas”. The work is expected to be completed before the 2028 Major League Baseball season.