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University of Cincinnati

Nippert Stadium Expansion

the story

The new 130,000 SF West Pavilion at Nippert Stadium, a collaborative effort between Heery Design – a SLAM Studio, serving as architect of record and design architect, and associate architect Architecture Research Office (ARO), provides significant improvements and enhancements to the University of Cincinnati campus for students, fans, and athletics. It maintains and enhances existing campus uses and circulation patterns, and boldly and respectfully inserts itself into the life of the campus.

at-a-glance

TYPE:
New Construction
PRACTICE:
Architecture
Programming & Planning
LOCATION:
Cincinnati, OH
STATUS:
Completed 2015
SIZE:
130,000 SF
INSIGHT
The Nippert Stadium renovation project has two major goals: to enhance the spectator experience for football and to strengthen the quality of the campus.  The project was shaped by the interrelationship between its functional requirements and contextual responsibilities; it must perform well on game day and throughout the year for non-game day events. Multi-purpose fan amenities and premium spaces were a main programmatic driver for the project. 
SOLUTION

The new West Pavilion provides a gateway that is an extended covered walkway and ties into the existing daily pedestrian paths. Located on a constrained site, the building comes within 8 feet from the adjacent student center. To preserve the gateway, the curved geometry of the lower bowl, the gateway cantilever, and the increasing size of the upper floor plates (creating a tilt to the west) all led to a diagonal structural system, which is freely expressed inside the building, and reflected in the parallelogram geometry of the glass and metal panel exterior skin on the north, west and south sides. 

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The glass stadium facade provides significant light and views to the playing field and surrounding campus buildings. 

“

The team clicked from Day 1 and never looked back. SLAM remained responsible for the entire project, and the team acted with a single-minded purpose that belied its newness and geographic separation. The entire team always felt “local” and close-at-hand, never remote, preoccupied or lacking in enthusiasm.

Dale Beeler, RA
Former Director of Project Management
”
IMPACT

The 7-level, 130,000 SF press and VIP tower enhances fan amenities with 1,100 new club seats, 30 new loge boxes, and 21 new private suites. The new stadium facility takes advantage of the confined site restrictions with floor to ceiling glass on almost every interior or exterior wall parallel to the field. 

Major project components include: 
An enhanced concourse and pedestrian access, an outdoor roof terrace for pre-game activation, a 50-seat President’s suite and private suites for Athletics Directors, meeting and dining rooms to host 120+ events annually, and press and broadcast facilities.

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2016, SCUP/AIA-CAE Excellence in Architecture for Building Additions or Adaptive Reuse

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2016, AIA South Atlantic Region, Honor Award for New Construction / Substantial Renovation

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2017, AIA Georgia, Excellence Award for Built Project

“

SLAM’s collaborative attitude and team-centric focus made this all possible. We could not have been better served!

Dale Beeler, RA
Former Director of Project Management
”
[headshot]
Gordon Smith, AIA
Project Designer
P
404 443.9127

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