Rendering courtesy of USTA
The United States Tennis Association renovation of Arthur Ashe Stadium, the world’s largest tennis stadium, will be completed in time for the August 2027 U.S. Open in Queens, N.Y.
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$800M Renovation and Expansion Underway at World’s Largest Tennis Stadium
Matt Rossetti
Once the U.S. Open tennis tournament crowns the women’s and men’s champions on Sept. 6-7 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, the biggest racket heard on site won’t be the players or crowd, but the public-facing start of an $800 million project to upgrade its 24,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium, the world’s largest tennis stadium, and add a new player performance center.
Just before the main draw of the U.S. Open is set to start on Aug. 24, ENR caught up with Matt Rossetti, president and CEO of Detroit-based design firm Rossetti and lead architect for the project, which has already begun in earnest with reinforcing of stadium columns. Rossetti’s firm has worked on the tennis venue site since 1990.
ENR: What does it mean for you to continue working at the National Tennis Center?
Rossetti: It’s funny, we’ve got hundreds of projects that we’ve done and whenever I’m asked about which is my favorite or most special, it is always this project—not just because of its longevity, creativity and innovation, but also because the U.S. Tennis Association (owner of the center) never rests on its heels. Its members are always looking for something innovative and different to set it apart and [its managers] are great people to work with.
What do you believe will be the most noticeable aspect of the project for fans?
Without a doubt, it will be the front entry. About 90% of fans will not get to experience the clubs and suites, but they will notice an unbelievable change to the front entrance—how it works and how it looks. On the promenade level, we are doing a remake of all concourse retail, food, eating and campus viewing spaces. All of that is going to be expanded and renovated.
What do you see as the most technically challenging aspects of the design?
All the premium we are putting into new clubs is going into spaces that mostly used to be outdoors. How do we convert something like this into partially indoors, fully indoors and fully outdoors—a combination of going in and out, and where the systems stop and start for a fabulous fan experience?
Loads have long been a design issue at Arthur Ashe stadium, infamously built on a former dump site. How did it play into the plan?
Most people won’t see what is being done. It is three years of [total] construction. The first year was simply reinforcing all the columns and structural elements that will carry some of this additional load. Then there’s an entire year’s worth of work related to all the structural infrastructure to handle all these changes. Nobody will see that, it just has to be done.
What elements of Ashe needed modernization the most?
The back of house is being tripled because of the amount of additional food service now happening in the building. With an incredible amount of hospitality that has to be taken care of, loading in and out of ice, the refrigeration and vertical circulation of getting to the right places is key. That means the back of house was central to solve not just for food service, but also for the entire building. Additionally, all player facilities and program spaces that were within the lower event level are all moving to the new player performance center. That was a major must.
Are there any elements of the design you’re especially intrigued to see come to life?
The new front entry elements will go all the way from the ground, perched above the new TV studios, and rise above the promenade level. Within the steel mesh, they will provide some shade and an incredible vantage point while giving the building an incredibly playful and contemporary presence that is both reflective of the dynamics of tennis play and a bit of a nod to the history of the Unisphere structure [still standing on the adjacent Flushing Meadows site that hosted the 1964 World’s Fair].
Has the front entrance been a collaborative process?
Yes, we have had great fun with architect Daniel Libeskind [and Studio Libeskind]. They have been marvelous to work with.
How do you see this evolution merging with the history of the site?
We created this as the third vernacular. We started with the terra cotta, with the blue and white trim. Then we did Grandstand [stadium with additional buildings on site] and created a new palette with the courts in the South Plaza. It was the second iteration of a more contemporary look, color palette and design guidelines. With this new one, we branched out even further to create a more contemporary style and palette befitting both the legacy of the U.S. Open and the energy of New York City.
Do you anticipate construction mobilizing in a frenzy in September?
Yeah, it will be crazy. The mobilization you are going to see will be super intense and really fun to watch.
Tim Newcomb is a newspaper and magazine journalist based in Western Washington, covering design and construction in buildings and transportation around the Northwest.