The Future of Stadium Design
Boxes and Suites
Are They Really Delivering the Experience People Want?
May 2024
To continue our ongoing conversation about the future of stadium design we wanted to take a moment to discuss the design of suites and boxes and how they should provide more engaging and unique experiences. While suites and boxes are billed as providing a unique luxury experience for a sporting event, the truth is most are designed as a cross between a mid-level hotel suite living room and an office kitchenette, qualifying as neither unique nor luxurious. If someone is going to pay top dollar for an experience, they should really be getting something one of a kind that fits more closely with the needs and experiences of the attendees.
First, these spaces need to offer something beyond just a different view of the game. They need to provide a different wholistic experience for that game. This can be done by theming the suites. For example, at Lumen Field, there could be the 12th man suite - fully decked out in Seahawks colors, memorabilia, amplified crowd noise, behind the scenes look at the game- marketed to those who are true fans. But these themes do not need to be limited to sports, providing a beach or pool side theme for SoFi Stadium, not only creates a unique experience for those who want to watch the game from a lounger but could allow those who are more interested in a fun and engaging experience to socialize and network over watching a game.
Second, these spaces are typically used by those that are attending the game to network or socialize with others more so than watch the game. While traditional stadium seating works well for viewing the game, it limits how attendees can interact with each other. We think keeping the first row of stadium seating allows for those that have more interest in the game than socialization to take in the action easier, revising the seating within the suite to more of a lounge setup caters to conversation and interaction. Additionally, lounge layouts typically allow for easier movement and are less intrusive to others than rows of seats, allowing one to bounce around the suite for conversation, food, drinks, and watching at their leisure.
Lastly, there is no reason that a kitchenette needs to be incorporated into a suite. While having a bar sink is handy, cabinetry designed for storage typically goes mostly unused. Keeping the frame of chafers in the suites makes sense, but the inserts, utensils, and separate serving bowls and platters are going to be stored adjacent to the kitchen. Instead, casework provided in the suite should be limited and the majority of layout and gathering space be created with tables or credenzas. Additionally, using furniture instead of casework allows flexibility in how the rooms are configured, easy replacement if damaged, and less expensive and faster to remodel. To take the space up another notch, consider a tablet for each suite where additional food, drink, and other service items can be requested at the touch of the screen.
With the cost of suites going up, it is getting harder and harder for attendees to justify spending the money on an experience that does not meet the ticket’s price tag. However, by rethinking and reimagining this space, stadiums have an opportunity to market something beyond the sporting event allowing for more draw at higher prices. Additionally, these unique and luxurious designs do not need large project budgets. The same project budget could be used to create a better experience by reimagining these spaces to focus on creating unique spaces focused on socialization rather than on the game.
Fictional rendering of a potential suite.