the 1978 grandstand stadium is located in new york, originally in the crowded northeast corner of the billie jean king national tennis center. throughout the years, it was cherished by fans for its intimate settings and close contact with the players. in an effort to provide a more even distribution of people across the stadium, michigan firm ROSSETTI  has proposed a masterplan that relocates the arena to the southwest corner- making their project part of a ten year re-modeling of the entire campus (2001-2011).

rossetti grandstand stadium new york designboom

 

 

 

the façade of ROSSETTI‘S new grandstand stadium is composed of 486 individual Teflon-coated fiberglass membrane (PTFE). each panel is fastened to a cable structure by 2,922 individual connections. surrounding the entire exterior, the membranes are twisted at certain angles to play with opacity -by offering glimpses in and out of the stadium. the woven PTFE fabric panels mimic the pattern of leaves on a spin, and evokes the illusion of peering through foliage.

rossetti grandstand stadium new york designboom
to the naked eye, the building appears to have a uniform arched radius but is actually  a hexadecagon with 16 sides

 

 

 

the 8,125- seat grandstand stadium and its surrounding context are equipped with an abundance of fan amenities, creating a relaxed setting. concessions, plazas and a picnic area surround the arena to provide visitors with a comfortable atmosphere as an alternative to the bustling in the rest of the campus. furthermore, ROSSETTI designed the lower section as sunken into the earth -offering an intimate tennis experience that highlights the player-fan relationship.

rossetti grandstand stadium new york designboom
the stadium and its surrounding provide a relaxed, park-like setting

rossetti grandstand stadium new york designboom
486 PTFE fabric panels make up the building skin of grandstand stadium

rossetti grandstand stadium new york designboom
the twisted mesh panels give views into and out of the stadium

rossetti grandstand stadium new york designboom
the pattern of the panels reflect the morphology of leaves

rossetti grandstand stadium new york designboom
at night, the facade becomes illuminated with a series of LED lights

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom