Protective Stadium and Legacy Arena venues' double-debut in Birmingham, Alabama

The US city of Birmingham, Alabama and global design firm Populous have celebrated a double-debut as the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center Authority unveiled the new 42,000-seat Protective Stadium and the redesigned 15,000-seat Legacy Arena in the city’s downtown. Populous served as architect of record for both venues and also oversaw interior design, signage and graphic design services. The new stadium and arena are part of the overall Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC). The new 835,000 square-foot (77,574sqm), $188m Protective Stadium debuted in October as the new home of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The idea of a new multi-purpose stadium at the BJCC has been part of the BJCC Authority’s long-term strategic plan for many years. “Located in the heart of downtown Birmingham and across the street from the popular Uptown entertainment district Populous helped master plan years ago, the site was ideal for a football stadium, so it fits together very nicely,” said Jim Swords, principal at Populous and project manager for both venues. “One side of the site is urban, and the other is a residential neighbourhood. This one-of-a-kind stadium fits right into the site. It is scaled to the surrounding buildings and doesn’t rise above everything in a big sea of parking but is nestled into the surrounding city blocks. You can see the city from the stands, so the design is very much unique to Birmingham.” Protective Stadium was designed to accommodate concerts and other special events, as well as American football. The colours, materials and structure of the stadium, including the scoreboard and light towers, were influenced by Birmingham’s industrial heritage and landmarks, as the design employs the use of red brick and black steel to seamlessly integrate into the complex. The new venue made its debut October 2 with the UAB-Liberty game and has averaged more than 27,000 fans during the team’s home games this fall. “Right-sizing” the new stadium to attract more regional and high-profile events to Birmingham while fitting in with the surrounding area were key factors in the Populous design. The BJCC’s approach has been validated with the scheduling of the Super 7 state championships, the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl and the opening and closing ceremonies for The World Games next summer at Protective Stadium, with more events in the works. The stadium hosts suites (34 total) and club seats with a Stadium Club to fill a need for premium offerings. Legacy Arena The BJCC also funded an extensive, $71.7m reconstruction of the 45-year-old Legacy Arena into a modern 335,000 square-foot (31,122sqm) multipurpose arena. “The reconstruction of Legacy Arena was all about turning an old building into a new building, making a famed venue into a modern arena while keeping its character,” Swords said. “While everyone could see Protective Stadium being built from the outside, the arena rebuild was mostly hidden from public view. People will be amazed when they walk into Legacy Arena because it’s a 45-year-old building that will look brand new on the inside.” Premium amenities include 12 brand new suites, a new Upper-Level Club and a newly-renovated Arena Club. On event level, locker rooms and dressing rooms have also been updated and expanded, and a larger loading dock was added to better accommodate concerts and special events. Several in-bowl improvements were made on an operational level, including a new sound system, lighting, ribbon boards and other infrastructure. The venue celebrated its re-opening on 5 December and the concert programme kicks off 15 December with a holiday performance by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The BJCC is Alabama’s premier sports, convention and entertainment centre a(nd home to two exhibition halls offering 220,000 square feet (20,438sqm) for trade shows, as well as three entertainment venues including the state’s largest arena and concert hall. The BJCC campus also includes the Uptown Entertainment District, The Westin Birmingham Hotel and Alabama’s largest hotel, the 757-room Sheraton Birmingham. Visit bjcc.org.