Des Moines City Park

Stadiums are often built in with an insular focus, optimizing for the entertainment on the field. This approach often leads to beautiful experience, however creates sparse and unfulfilling urban and exterior experience. The concept behind this project emphasizes designing the stadium from the exterior to the interior with future program considerations in mind. As Des Moines is a growing city with the downtown core expanding, an emphasis was placed on including mixed-income housing and job opportunities for the population. Furthermore, the project includes open and public spaces for the residents to enjoy both when the stadium is both in and out of use. 

Urbanistically, the stadium is situated in a former industrial district with no grid connection to the existing city.  As such, we rotated the stadium to continue the lack of connection with the grid to put emphasis to on the view of downtown. We envision that with the growth of Des Moines, creating a new district would allow for a greater connection across the MLK Highway even without the stadium. Within the site, the project was broken into two 'L' bar buildings, one consisting primarily of residential and the other office. The rest of the site directly corresponds to the orientation of the field, with a strong green pathway intersecting the field and stands to create a connection from the southern forest to the new northern park. Formally, the buildings allow for maximized public plazas and parks with a direct connection to the surrounding buildings. Additionally more active programs, such as retail and pop up market spaces are scattered at ground level to fully embrace those plazas. 

To fully achieve our urban, site, and architectural goals we had a few phases focused on each individually. During each phase we attempted to build off of previous concepts and success to fully arrive at our current submission. In an effort to understand the site and our proposed concepts, we dove first into research and mapping. This allowed us to understand the sustainable and growth goals set forth by city officials; most importantly allowing us to understand the need for housing. We examined current articles about the real life proposals and analyzed the positives and negatives of those designs. 

While researching the city of Des Moines, we noticed the heavy use of earthy and natural materials, namely stone and brick. However, newer landmark pieces, such as the public library. consisted of contrasting materials, with façades constructed of glass and copper. We sought to hybridize those two different styles with the materiality of the proposed stadium. A darken wooden façade was utilized to connect with the older and historic buildings, while also providing a contrast to the newer glass curtain wall construction in the adjacent building. In a way we tried to emphasize and create a microcosm of the existing city and materials within our project. 

The project aims to expand over time with the use and later lack of use of the stadium. Initially, we envision the stadium bowl and main core buildings to be constructed. This would allow for the maximized amount of fans for the games while creating a unique experience in Des Moines. As the city grows, we envision the housing building to be constructed and attached to the current core of buildings and stands. When the soccer team either moves or folds, the stadium will then again see another transformation. The current stands were specifically designed to create garden terraces, accessible steps, and dimensioned to easily add an addition. 

The stands are sloped and stepped in order to accommodate future housing to be built on top. Transforming the typical stadium into a housing community engulfing the park. The free-form connectivity of the undulating forms of the pay respect to the view looking out of the stadium back towards the city. The views help intertwine the stadium with the local community. The two “L” Forms embrace the green spaces of the future. The stadium becomes a result of the world around it and once its time is past it can become a park for much more than the general community. Blurring the lines of what is the stadium and what is park.

The stadium comes to represent more than just the sports team but truly the people of the city.