BIG Breaks Ground on the Bold New Las Vegas Baseball Stadium for the Athletics

Introduction

A major shift in American sports architecture is underway with the groundbreaking of the new Las Vegas baseball stadium designed by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) and HNTB. Situated along the iconic Las Vegas Strip, the stadium will become the new home for the Athletics after their move from Oakland, California. The move follows nearly a decade of discussions and design evolution, culminating in a structure that blends bold regional symbolism with modern engineering.

The stadium represents BIG’s first built baseball venue and reflects a fresh approach to sports architecture—one that’s rooted in storytelling, fan experience, and climate-responsive design. As of June 2025, construction has officially begun on the 9-acre site between Tropicana and Reno Avenues, putting into motion one of the most anticipated additions to the city’s built environment.

With its overlapping dome-like shells, a massive cable-net glass entrance, and references to local culture and landscape, the Las Vegas baseball stadium is not just about sports—it’s about civic presence, architectural identity, and creating a meaningful place for both residents and visitors. The design demonstrates how a stadium can be both expressive and efficient, iconic yet responsive to context.

Layers of Form and Function

A Stadium That Tells a Story

The architecture of the Las Vegas baseball stadium is designed around a central narrative: five overlapping, wedge-shaped domes that evoke the image of an armadillo—an animal native to the American Southwest. This sculptural approach provides more than just symbolism; it defines the structure’s spatial character and environmental performance.

Location and Orientation

The stadium is located directly on the Strip, one of the most visible and culturally loaded settings in the United States. Its orientation supports pedestrian access and future links to additional public developments, including hotels and casinos.

Materials and Features

The building’s exterior is clad in a skin of square metal panels that reflect the Las Vegas sun. The dramatic entry is marked by a massive, transparent cable-net glass façade, intended to be the largest of its kind globally.

Inside, the stadium features:

• Split bowl seating with upper and lower tiers
• Domed skylights integrated between volumes
• Lounges and atrium spaces
• Snack bars and public gathering areas

Table: Key Project Facts

Architectural Analysis

The Las Vegas baseball stadium is driven by clear design logic that connects geometry, cultural relevance, and environmental needs. The five-dome composition breaks down the overall volume, reducing visual mass and allowing daylight to enter through curved skylights.

Materiality reinforces both identity and function. The reflective metal skin references the city’s iconic neon glow, while the transparent entrance promotes openness and permeability—qualities rarely associated with stadiums. Internally, spaces are layered and varied, allowing circulation and spatial flow to adapt to event scales.

Yet, the armadillo metaphor, while symbolic, may risk overshadowing more site-specific solutions. Does the metaphor offer architectural depth, or is it more stylistic than performative?

Still, this layered structure balances aesthetics, crowd management, and technical complexity. The interplay of curved shell volumes and open interiors delivers a sensory and civic experience.

Project Importance

This stadium contributes significantly to the evolution of sports architecture. First, it places emotional narrative and contextual awareness at the center of design. Instead of a generic venue, it offers a form uniquely tied to place.

Second, it advances stadium typologies by blending enclosed and open elements, integrating light and material honesty, and enhancing intimacy in a traditionally large program. With tighter proximity to home plate and minimized foul territory, it redefines fan interaction.

Finally, the stadium’s visibility along the Strip amplifies its urban role—not just as a venue, but as a piece of city-making. The project teaches architects that storytelling, environmental performance, and urban engagement can coexist within large-scale public programs.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

BIG’s Las Vegas baseball stadium blends five sculptural volumes into a cohesive, reflective urban form. Metal skin, layered domes, and an immersive interior create a cinematic experience. However, the heavy reliance on metaphor (armadillo/pennants) invites critique—are these forms optimized for context, or purely symbolic? That said, the scale modulation, glass wall transparency, and intimacy of seating show design maturity. This project offers a new direction for integrating cultural identity into high-performance sports venues.

Conclusion

The Las Vegas baseball stadium is more than a sports facility—it is a public gesture that reflects the city’s character and the team’s future. BIG and HNTB’s collaborative approach results in a landmark that redefines the expectations of what a stadium can be in the 21st century.

Beyond its sculptural presence, the project’s value lies in its engagement with fans, its material expression, and its contribution to the urban fabric of Las Vegas. It challenges the typology through a new spatial language—one that is compact yet dynamic, symbolic yet contextual. As construction progresses, this stadium promises to become a benchmark for future sports architecture—not just in form, but in the story it tells and the city it belongs to.

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