Rendering courtesy of USTA
The United States Tennis Association’s 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, New York.
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$800M Renovation and Expansion Underway at World’s Largest Tennis Stadium
Once the U.S. Open crowns a men’s champion on Sept. 7 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, the biggest racket heard on site won’t be that of the players, but of the public-facing start of an $800 million project to upgrade the world’s largest tennis stadium and add a new player performance center.
Just before the main draw of the U.S. Open started on Aug. 24, ENR caught up with lead architect Matt Rossetti to discuss the project, which has already begun in earnest with the reinforcing of columns at the 24,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium, and working on a site the Rossetti firm has worked on since 1990.
ENR: What does it mean for you to continue working at the NTC?
Rossetti: It’s funny, we’ve got hundreds of projects that we’ve done and whenever I’m asked what my favorite project is or what project is most special, it is always this project, not just because of the longevity, the creativity and the innovation, but the USTA (United States Tennis Association, owners of the NTC) never rests on their heels. They are always looking for something innovative and different to set themselves apart. In addition to that, they are just frickin’ great people to work with. They are wonderful.
What do you believe will be the most noticeable aspect of the project for fans?
Without a doubt it will be the front entry. Ninety percent 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, how it looks. Then, up on the promenade level we are doing a whole remake of the entire concourse, the retail, the food, the spaces to eat and view the campus. 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 in all these new clubs are going in spaces that the bulk of it used to be outdoors. How do we convert something like this into partially indoors, fully indoors and fully outdoors, the 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 Ashe, infamously built on a former dump site, how did that play into this plan?
Most people won’t see what is being done. It is three years of [total] construction, and the first year was simply reinforcing all the columns and structural elements that will carry some of this additional load. There’s an entire year’s worth of work, 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 the amount of additional food service that is now happening in the building. There is just an incredible amount of hospitality that has to be taken care of. The loading in and out of ice, refrigeration and the vertical circulation of getting to the right places, the back of house was key to solve not just for food service, but for the entire building. Then, additionally, all the player facilities, the program spaces, those are things that were within the lower event level that are all moving out 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?
As I mentioned, the new front entry elements. They will go all the way from the ground, perched above the new TV studios, and then rise all the way and above the promenade level. Within the steel mesh they will provide some shade and an incredible vantage point for looking out and giving the building an incredibly playful and contemporary presence that is both reflective of the dynamics of the play of tennis and a bit of a nod to the history of the Unisphere [next door on the Flushing Meadows site].
Has the front entrance been a collaborative process?
Yes, we have had great fun with 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, that was the second iteration of a more contemporary look and color palette and design guidelines. Then with this new one, we branched out even further to make it 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 getting going in a frenzy in September?
Yeah, it will be crazy. The mobilization you are going to see is going to be super intense and it will be 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.