Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the currently under-construction new stadium of NFL team Atlanta Falcons and new MLS franchise Atlanta United FC.
Key facts
Club: Atlanta United FC
Capacity: 32,456 seats
Scheduled opening: 2017
Status: Under construction
Description
First suggestions for the construction of a new stadium for the Atlanta Falcons were made in 2010, which became concrete plans in 2012. In the next years funding was arranged and designs were finalized, resulting in the start of construction in May 2014. The stadium was completed in 2017, which was also the first season that Atlanta United played in the MLS.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,000 for NFL games, of which 7,500 club seats and 190 suites. Capacity can be increased to up to 81,000 for other events, while capacity for MLS games will be reduced to just over 32,000 seats. The stadium is adjusted for soccer matches through additional retractable seating closer to the pitch and curtains that close off the upper tiers.
The stadium has a retractable roof that consists of triangular panels that open and close like a photo camera. It's also equipped with the latest technology including a 360 degree HD video halo board built into the roof. It has been designed by HOK Architects.
The stadium is owned by the state of Georgia through the Georgia World Congress Center Authority and operated by AMB Group, the parent organization of the Falcons and Atlanta United. The total cost was estimated at $1.6 billion, as of June 2016.
The stadium was built on a site just south of the Georgia Dome, the present home of the Atlanta Falcons, which lies just west of downtown Atlanta.
Several reports of the roof leaking during the stadium’s inaugural season have caused some issues for the stadium’s design team. During the College Football National Championship Game in January 2018, several media outlets reported a significant leak that appeared to be occurring just over the field of play near the 25-yard line. Bill Hancock, College Football Playoff Executive Director, said that he and his team had been made aware of the issue concerning water leaking from the roof and that he believed that the issue did not affect the field of play during the game. Neither team competing in the game reported any issues with the playing surface.
On May 29, 2018, the roof was opened for the first time since October 2017 for construction purposes. Stadium officials stated that the roof would be open for 10 days, regardless of weather, to complete work on automating the roof. After the 10-day construction period, an unspecified time frame would be required for final commissioning work, after of which, the operation of the roof would be turned over to stadium officials. On July 25, 2018, in a demonstration to members of the media, the roof was opened and closed for the first time as intended, with both procedures taking approximately eight minutes each.
