to get the number of seats in the SEZ we need , our scoreboard is going to be 100-140 ft in the airCurious why you think brick is a risk? I am not knowledgeable about the building aspect of this stuff at all, FWIW. Also, it looks like the ~2016 updated rendering to the 2013 render would incorporate a column-like structure that I personally think would look really, really cool and keep with the theme of the stadium:
It looks noticeably different than what was proposed in 2013:
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7140585/Screen%20Shot%202016-09-21%20at%2011.08.03%20AM.png)
Memorial Stadium
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I doubt the brick will match well and the general school of thought regarding renovations to existing historic structures is to refrain from emulating the existing/try not to compete with it.Curious why you think brick is a risk? I am not knowledgeable about the building aspect of this stuff at all, FWIW. Also, it looks like the ~2016 updated rendering to the 2013 render would incorporate a column-like structure that I personally think would look really, really cool and keep with the theme of the stadium:
It looks noticeably different than what was proposed in 2013:
They did a great job of this with soldier field, blending the old with the new.
chiefini
- Rockford, Illinois
Grange Grove will be rocking that day, probably more than any other Gameday all season. You MUST take them there! Hopefully, Grange Grove will be rocking every game!
As i think about a financially feasible phased solution to the stadium, i imagine extending the horse shoe down
to within 4'-5' feet of the turf level, perhaps selling some turf level boxes for the additional revenue. the huge area
of turf between the horseshoe and the field is a waste of potential $$ Lets get a nicer entry/ partially covered court
with food service to the south and then when we have 4-5 years of that revenue and additional sold out season
tickets we consider an addition to the south with boxes "on top of" the horseshoe and lifting the video board up
that 12'. Demolishing the horseshoe is a mistake and they are great intermediate level priced tickets. (i think they
could be 150% higher priced and fans would still pay it) I love the low level angled views from the corners and the
connection to the east and west main stands that the north stands don't have are excellent. if we had 25,000 seat
in the "former" horseshoe with 15,000 of them empty for half the games we will wish we hadn't invested the $100,
000,000. let's fill what we have first and have a responsible plan for expansion that doesn't look like a desert. oh,
and maybe 50% of the seats become chairs? another amenity that is long overdue. the removable rented "chairs"
are a menace if your seat is behind them and I'm at the age where those cold aluminum benches are hard on your
back for 3-4 days after a game.
to within 4'-5' feet of the turf level, perhaps selling some turf level boxes for the additional revenue. the huge area
of turf between the horseshoe and the field is a waste of potential $$ Lets get a nicer entry/ partially covered court
with food service to the south and then when we have 4-5 years of that revenue and additional sold out season
tickets we consider an addition to the south with boxes "on top of" the horseshoe and lifting the video board up
that 12'. Demolishing the horseshoe is a mistake and they are great intermediate level priced tickets. (i think they
could be 150% higher priced and fans would still pay it) I love the low level angled views from the corners and the
connection to the east and west main stands that the north stands don't have are excellent. if we had 25,000 seat
in the "former" horseshoe with 15,000 of them empty for half the games we will wish we hadn't invested the $100,
000,000. let's fill what we have first and have a responsible plan for expansion that doesn't look like a desert. oh,
and maybe 50% of the seats become chairs? another amenity that is long overdue. the removable rented "chairs"
are a menace if your seat is behind them and I'm at the age where those cold aluminum benches are hard on your
back for 3-4 days after a game.
This might be the first time I've ever seen anyone saying Soldier Field looks like anything other than a weird UFO/ cruise ship sitting inside an old stadium, because that's exactly what it looks like.
Taking any design cues from solider field would be... not good.
I was 100% kidding
other than its a bit small capacity wise i like it!
Krombopulos_Michael
- Aurora, Illinois (that’s a suburb of Chicago)
Dan
Admin
Memorial Stadium Columns History - University of Illinois Athletics
Memorial Stadium was built in 1923 as a memorial to Illinois men and women who gave their lives for their country during World War I. Holabird & Roche (now Holabird
fightingillini.com
Joel Goodson
- how was I to know, she was with the Russians too?
thought this thread would be apropos: happy Memorial Day Illini brethren!
hoping the coming sellouts put stadium renovations on the fasttrack
hoping the coming sellouts put stadium renovations on the fasttrack
Illini in Italy
- Illini HQ, Florida Panhandle
Lest we forget
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Nothing too substantial to add, but I was thinking while reading all of your great Memorial Day posts that I REALLY want any SEZ renovation to honor Memorial Stadium's heritage as a tribute to those who have served our country. I understand hesitation of a total copy of the east/west sides' architecture for two main reasons - (1) it would look awkward if the newer brick looks a lot different than the older brick from the 1920s and (2) I think there is a solid argument that it is more respectful to let those two sides stand alone as the originals.
However, I also think it would be a huge mistake to go full Soldier Field and practically disrespect the original style (duh) OR to "play it safe" and go with a rather bland, Twenty-First Century exterior that saves costs but doesn't honor the original architecture of the stadium like Iowa's north end zone (even though, as most of us agree, they did a great job with the interior):
Traditional/Original Kinnick Stadium Exterior
New South End Zone Exterior
And I think our traditional exterior is a hell of a lot cooler than Iowa's, so I do think we need to pay homage to it with any SEZ revamp. TOTALLY spit-balling here, but one very cost-effective measure would have been to simply work with the current Horseshoe structure but do the following. Keep in mind, for #1 and #2, we would obviously renovate the current structure to have new PERMANENT seats, not temp bleachers ... lol.
1. Bring the FRONT rows down to field level closer to the end zone, as was done in this older photo with what look to be temporary seats:
2. Add additional rows BEHIND the current last row of the Horseshoe to extend it back farther and make it a taller structure, with a more complete version of what we had pre-2012:
3. Aggressively plant as many trees as possible to make the area behind the SEZ a little mini forest area in order to cover up the lackluster exterior because we couldn't afford a better one ... aka keep these trees and plant more to look as close to UNC as possible ... too bad we just cut them down!!
4. For a relatively inexpensive but aesthetically consistent finishing touch, add a sort of colonnade design on top of the Horseshoe to tie it into the rest of the stadium. This could even be a sort of rededication of sorts to Illinois Veterans. Virginia's Scott Stadium - which I consider to be one of the most underrated in all of college football, personally - does something like what I am envisioning here:
Obviously, I would want something even more involved than that ... but I hope whoever is in charge of this cares about honoring Memorial Stadium's architectural themes and not adding on something generic. You know how every new NFL stadium rendering is just Allegiant Stadium somewhere else, with a few tweaks? Yeah, I think that is bad and I do not want MS to become one ounce less unique when we finally touch up the Horseshoe!
However, I also think it would be a huge mistake to go full Soldier Field and practically disrespect the original style (duh) OR to "play it safe" and go with a rather bland, Twenty-First Century exterior that saves costs but doesn't honor the original architecture of the stadium like Iowa's north end zone (even though, as most of us agree, they did a great job with the interior):
Traditional/Original Kinnick Stadium Exterior
New South End Zone Exterior
And I think our traditional exterior is a hell of a lot cooler than Iowa's, so I do think we need to pay homage to it with any SEZ revamp. TOTALLY spit-balling here, but one very cost-effective measure would have been to simply work with the current Horseshoe structure but do the following. Keep in mind, for #1 and #2, we would obviously renovate the current structure to have new PERMANENT seats, not temp bleachers ... lol.
1. Bring the FRONT rows down to field level closer to the end zone, as was done in this older photo with what look to be temporary seats:
2. Add additional rows BEHIND the current last row of the Horseshoe to extend it back farther and make it a taller structure, with a more complete version of what we had pre-2012:
3. Aggressively plant as many trees as possible to make the area behind the SEZ a little mini forest area in order to cover up the lackluster exterior because we couldn't afford a better one ... aka keep these trees and plant more to look as close to UNC as possible ... too bad we just cut them down!!
4. For a relatively inexpensive but aesthetically consistent finishing touch, add a sort of colonnade design on top of the Horseshoe to tie it into the rest of the stadium. This could even be a sort of rededication of sorts to Illinois Veterans. Virginia's Scott Stadium - which I consider to be one of the most underrated in all of college football, personally - does something like what I am envisioning here:
Obviously, I would want something even more involved than that ... but I hope whoever is in charge of this cares about honoring Memorial Stadium's architectural themes and not adding on something generic. You know how every new NFL stadium rendering is just Allegiant Stadium somewhere else, with a few tweaks? Yeah, I think that is bad and I do not want MS to become one ounce less unique when we finally touch up the Horseshoe!
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
^ Tada! Lol...
Is it perfect or groundbreaking? Of course not ... I am neither an architect nor a particularly artistic/creative person! Haha. However, it would beat the hell out of what we have now, and if money is an issue, I hope whatever second tier option we go with genuinely tries to maintain the architectural integrity of the stadium. It's also amazing how much taller and more imposing the SEZ looks in the second photo by not really adding that many rows at all to the front and back of the current Horseshoe structure.
I am sure any SEZ renovation will need to have revenue-generating suites, and I think that is fine/great! However, I hope someone in the decision-making room is arguing for brick and columns instead of metal and glass...
Is it perfect or groundbreaking? Of course not ... I am neither an architect nor a particularly artistic/creative person! Haha. However, it would beat the hell out of what we have now, and if money is an issue, I hope whatever second tier option we go with genuinely tries to maintain the architectural integrity of the stadium. It's also amazing how much taller and more imposing the SEZ looks in the second photo by not really adding that many rows at all to the front and back of the current Horseshoe structure.
I am sure any SEZ renovation will need to have revenue-generating suites, and I think that is fine/great! However, I hope someone in the decision-making room is arguing for brick and columns instead of metal and glass...
Shief
- Champaign Area
Fighter of the Nightman, have you been reading my posts? This looks and sounds a lot like what I discussed a few weeks ago (being facesous).
In all seriousness, I would like to see the horseshoe filled in and stands added behind the existing ones. It would create a mass of fans for opposing teams to face down. You might consider moving the scoreboard back and adding seats in that area, so that the whole area will be filled in.
What about the NEZ? I would like to see that redeveloped to enclose that area between the tower and preferably have the scoreboard moved back to the NEZ.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Haha, to be clear, this isn't my first choice and I do not think maintaining the general structure/curve/setup/etc. of the Horseshoe is essential in any renovation ... in fact, I have previously posted that my dream scenario would be a "squared in" design of Memorial Stadium so all four sides matched architecturally. With that said, I am also not totally against renovating what we already have ... the only thing I detest is the status quo of an awkward structure that takes away from the rest of the stadium.
One of my huge issues with the Horseshoe (in addition to the obvious distance from the end zone) is the gradual slope of the seats. The reason the Horseshoe looks so short and unimpressive (especially compared to the east/west sides) from this angle...
... is because it slopes back at THIS ridiculously "flat" angle, making its height seem artificially short and unimpressive, lol...
So if we did decide to keep the general shape/design of a circular Horseshoe, I would at least want it revamped to be at a much, much steeper incline so that we could provide better height in the SEZ and more effectively trap crowd noise. I will let someone who attends Memorial Stadium more often than I do either confirm or refute this, but it seems like the East Balcony has a steeper incline than the lower levels. I think we should aim for something at that angle in the SEZ (and NEZ, for that matter!). In general, steeper stadiums are just quite simply cooler, louder and create a more unique vibe.
This actually got me thinking that it is a real shame our two end zone structures are not in the opposite spots. The "scenery" behind the NEZ is just a bunch of rather bland, character-lacking buildings that the Horseshoe would cover up, and the awkward gaps on either side of the NEZ structure (i.e., the student section) would at least look a lot better if they were filled in with trees.
P.S. This old, old photo is a great illustration of why it feels like the Horseshoe is this awkward, unimpressive wart on an otherwise grand stadium. Looking at the literal finished wall separating the east/west sides from the earliest incarnation of what would become the Horseshoe, it appears clear to me that the original plan was never to end up with what we had...
I like the curvature of the horseshoe. It's just enough to balance an otherwise orthogonal design. It would be nice to retain that WITH the added height, but that would 100% mean vacating or rerouting Kirby. Not a huge price to pay IMO.
Kirby isn’t an issue if you steepen it appropriately and put it closer to the end zone. Plenty of room. This would also put the fans much closer to the field.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
I agree ... this could easily be done with a few creative engineers and architects in the room, haha. Consider that the current Horseshoe has a capacity of 9,800 right now. The temporary bleachers in the image below had 2,200 additional seats, and they obviously fit in the space between the stadium and Kirby. So, 12,000 seats (very poorly spaced out, but that is another conversation) fit easily.
Additionally, looking at this photo, there look to be FOURTEEN "missing" rows at the front of the Horseshoe ... if those temp bleachers (which don't even span the whole width of the Horseshoe) added 2,200 more seats, filling in the front area would allow at least that many, IMO.
So you easily have 5,000+ in capacity to work with within the existing space. That is not to say we need 5,000 additional seats right now, it is more just to illustrate that we have a lot of room right now that is not being utilized well. The end goal to the Horseshoe should be to build the tallest, largest structure possible with the most modest capacity, IMO ... right now we are doing the opposite - as many seats as possible packed into a small, unimpressive structure that is too far from the field and at too gradual of a slope.
EDIT: There are also a lot of cool architectural and spatial things we could do with having the stands extend back into the air OVER Kirby and adding a skywalk to the SFC parking lot ... I believe we once floated that idea as a sort of grand plan.
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I would like to see a a big screen over the student section of the field. Being in the horseshoe you do not have to turn your head every time a replay is shown. But a big screen on the other end zone would help. For some old timers on here was there a reason for not putting a big screen over the student section. See you in the fall.
Your first photo says it all. Look at it and imagine seats over Kirby or even the sidewalk. They’d be much too far from the field, maybe 80 yards from the goal line from Kirby (laterally). If a replacement is appropriately steep and pulled in close, we’d need no more room to the south than consumed today, maybe less.
EDIT: There are also a lot of cool architectural and spatial things we could do with having the stands extend back into the air OVER Kirby and adding a skywalk to the SFC parking lot ... I believe we once floated that idea as a sort of grand plan.
I 100% agree the horseshoe needs to be brought closer to the field. Where Kirby becomes an issue is the "BOH" stuff. Bathrooms, entry gates, concessions, stairs, etc. That's assuming the powers that be want to maintain the historical horseshoe aesthetic for the SEZ.
If the decision is made to go vertical, the existing footprint is potentially less of an issue. I could get behind the idea of a vertical bowl, but it would be dependent on the design and atmosphere created. MS already gets pretty loud, but I want it louder!!
It'd also be great to put some real $ into the SEZ facade. The pics from the south with SFC and MS lit up in orange and blue would make great marketing materials.
If the decision is made to go vertical, the existing footprint is potentially less of an issue. I could get behind the idea of a vertical bowl, but it would be dependent on the design and atmosphere created. MS already gets pretty loud, but I want it louder!!
It'd also be great to put some real $ into the SEZ facade. The pics from the south with SFC and MS lit up in orange and blue would make great marketing materials.
if the future new facade is not dominated with brick & limestone I will be upset
Shief
- Champaign Area
@Fighter of the Nightman, you are a better photoshop user than me. What would it look like if we added box seats to the ESZ and then moved the start of the horseshoe's corner to be roughly inline with the back of the field's endzone? This should help tighten up the seating and make the crowd more of a force for opposing teams. There would be plenty of space to allow the horseshoe to have 50 to 60 rows before getting too close to Kirby. The space under the seating could then become a good space for improved restrooms, food vendors, etc. and then there could be a facade that matches the existing architectural design.I agree ... this could easily be done with a few creative engineers and architects in the room, haha. Consider that the current Horseshoe has a capacity of 9,800 right now. The temporary bleachers in the image below had 2,200 additional seats, and they obviously fit in the space between the stadium and Kirby. So, 12,000 seats (very poorly spaced out, but that is another conversation) fit easily.
Additionally, looking at this photo, there look to be FOURTEEN "missing" rows at the front of the Horseshoe ... if those temp bleachers (which don't even span the whole width of the Horseshoe) added 2,200 more seats, filling in the front area would allow at least that many, IMO.
So you easily have 5,000+ in capacity to work with within the existing space. That is not to say we need 5,000 additional seats right now, it is more just to illustrate that we have a lot of room right now that is not being utilized well. The end goal to the Horseshoe should be to build the tallest, largest structure possible with the most modest capacity, IMO ... right now we are doing the opposite - as many seats as possible packed into a small, unimpressive structure that is too far from the field and at too gradual of a slope.
EDIT: There are also a lot of cool architectural and spatial things we could do with having the stands extend back into the air OVER Kirby and adding a skywalk to the SFC parking lot ... I believe we once floated that idea as a sort of grand plan.
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