bjarke ingels group breaks ground on sculptural las vegas ballpark for oakland A's

Big and hntb collaborate for new las vegas baseball stadium

The famed Las Vegas Strip is expected to be the home of a new ballpark for the Oakland A’s by architecture firms Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and HNTB. Once complete, the project is set to be the future home of Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics. Taking inspiration from Las Vegas‘ vibrant atmosphere, the ballpark is an open-air space with panoramic views of the desert city’s skyline. This 33,000-seat covered stadium occupies a nine-acre plot on Las Vegas Boulevard between Tropicana and Reno Avenues. Scheduled to open in spring 2028, the project marks a renewed collaboration between BIG and the Athletics, following an earlier ballpark design proposed for Oakland, California in 2018 (see designboom’s coverage here).

UPDATE June 25th, 2025: The Oakland A’s officially break ground on their Las Vegas ballpark, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and HNTB. Dubbed ‘the Armadillo’ for its expressive, layered shell, the structure marks BIG’s first realized baseball stadium and redefines the typology with a dramatic cable-net glass facade framing the Strip.

Set to open ahead of the 2028 MLB season, the project brings together Thornton Tomasetti, Henderson Engineers, CAA ICON, Mortenson, and McCarthy Building Companies. The ballpark also builds on BIG’s previous collaboration with the Athletics on an earlier, unbuilt design in Oakland. ‘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,’ shares Bjarke Ingels. ‘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.’

all images courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group, unless stated otherwise

a dome roof for ambient light and framed views

The architects at Bjarke Ingels Group collaborate with HNTB for the new ballpark in Las Vegas, instantly recognized by its sculptural roof. Five overlapping shells, are designed to resemble ‘baseball pennants,’ and provide shade for players while allowing indirect natural light to filter through clerestory windows oriented towards the north. The domed structure will feature an expansive cable-net glass wall, framing uninterrupted views of Las Vegas. The building’s exterior, wrapped in metallic panels, shimmers in the sunlight and reflects the city’s dazzling lights at night.

John Fisher, Managing Partner & Owner, Athletics comments: ‘BIG’s revolutionary design, created in collaboration with HNTB, represents a captivating ballpark concept, seamlessly blending innovation and technology with an enhanced fan experience. We are very excited to share the work of our design team with the entire Southern Nevada community.’

the project is set to be the future home of Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics

the breezy, climate controlled space

Fans enter the ballpark through an elevated outdoor plaza, which Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and HNTB connect with bridges spanning Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue. This entrance leads directly to the main concourse, where a large glass atrium opens toward the cityscape. This design ensures optimal navigation and will allow arriving fans to immediately take in the entire field and seating arrangement. Secondary entrances on the north and south sides feature ‘bouncing’ arches, promoting accessibility and a connection to the outdoors. Once inside, bright and airy atria greet the visitors, doubling as multi-purpose exhibition spaces that showcase local and international art.

Inspired by historic ballparks like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, the tiered seating design with split upper and lower bowls brings spectators closer to the action than in traditional stadiums. Every seat is designed to offer unobstructed sight lines. An innovative air-conditioning system ensures efficient and eco-friendly cooling by distributing cool air directly to the seats rather than from the ceiling.

the domed structure will feature an expansive cable-net glass wall

Bjarke Ingels comments: ‘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 and the iconic New York New York hotel skyline. 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. In the city of spectacle, the A’s ‘armadillo’ is designed for passive shading and natural light — the architectural response to the Nevada climate generating a new kind of vernacular icon in Vegas.’

taking inspiration from Las Vegas‘ vibrant atmosphere

Daniel Sundlin, Partner, BIG, continues: ‘Our new A’s Ballpark in Las Vegas is designed to celebrate baseball and become a destination for fans from all over the world. The ballpark will be a climate-controlled, state-of-the-art facility that will house a variety of events and guest experiences. By opening up the roof structure, we’re capturing the energy of the iconic Las Vegas Strip and creating a unique synergy between its events and the surrounding city.’

this 33,000-seat covered stadium will occupy a nine-acre plot

scheduled to open in spring 2028

the project marks a renewed collaboration between BIG and the Athletics

bright and airy atria greet the visitors

the Oakland A’s officially break ground on their Las Vegas ballpark | image by the Athletics

the structure marks BIG’s first realized baseball stadium | image by the Athletics

BIG Team (L to R): Leon Rost, Tracey Coffin, Frankie Sharpe, Jan Klaska, Daniel Sundlin | image by BIG

project info:

name: Athletics Las Vegas Ballpark

architecture: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), HNTB

location: Las Vegas, Nevada

size: 925,000 square feet

completion: expected 2028

client: Athletics

collaborators: Thornton Tomasetti, Henderson Engineers, CAA ICON, Mortenson, McCarthy Building Companies, Atelier Ten, RWDI, Kimley-Horn, Systematica, WJHW, Jensen Hughes, HKA, WSP, FP&C, Chicago Flyhouse, Duray Duncan, Ed Roether Consulting, Morean, Negativ, Mir

BIG team:
partner-in-charge: Bjarke Ingels, Daniel Sundlin, Leon Rost
project manager: Aran Coakley
design lead: Frankie Sharpe, Jan Klaska, Ricardo Palma Prieto
project architect: Tracey Coffin
team: Ahmad Tabbakh, Alan Maedo, Anders Holden Deleuran, Andreas Bak, Ashley O’Neill, Aya Mohamed Elhassan, Benjamin Caldwell, Chahn Sung, Changbin Kim, Cullen Yoshihiko Fu, David Iseri, Don Chen, Douglass Alligood, Dylan Hames, Ema Bakalova, Guillermo Romani, Hector Romero, Hongye Wu, Hudson Parris, Jaeho Park, Jan Leenknegt, Jeremy Jackson, Luca McLaughlin, Margaret Tyrpa, Matthew Lau, Minjung Ku, Norain Chang, Paul Heberle, Pauline Lavie-Luong, Qyuri Kim, Simon Scheller, Sung-hwan Um, Thomas Christoffersen, Thomas Guerra, Thomas McMurtrie, Vi Madrazo, Wesley Thompson, Yiling Emily Chen, Ziad Shehab

HNTB team:
principal-in-charge: Lanson Nichols 
project director: Brian O’Laughlin
design director, interiors: Emily Louchart
project leaders: Brad Albers, Jeff Goode 
team: Abagael Warnars, Rory Reynolds, Cruz Crawford, Ryan Halford, Chase Pitner, Sam Suh, Stephanie Schneidereit, Molly Qian, Jake Bandy, Tim Michael, Trevor Ricketts, Erin Heiden, Wendy Chenuh, Caroline Trinca, Michelle Curry, James Betancourt, Ben Garcia, Duart Duff