Populous hired to design Rice-Eccles Stadium project

Article posted by Coliseum, July 18^th, 2019

Image: Populous

The University of Utah has selected Populous to design its $80 million Rice-Eccles Stadium south end zone expansion project, according to media reports. With the hiring of Populous comes a slight change to the stadium’s original expansion designs, KSL.com reported.

The original design mockups had a walking platform atop the luxury suites. That design, though, has changed to include seating to accommodate the increase to 51,444 seats from 45,807.

The change, albeit small, gives fans an idea of what the stadium expansion project will look like when it’s expected to be completed prior to the 2021 football season. Utah’s Director of Athletics Mark Harlan previously said much of the stadium expansion project will be pre-fabricated to ensure the quick build at the conclusion of the 2020 season, the report stated.

“We are committed to providing a world-class experience for our student-athletes and fans,” Harlan said in a prepared statement. “This expansion will set a new standard for Pac-12 football facilities and ultimately establish our presence on the national stage for years to come.”

The University announced on April 13 a $17.5 million donation to the expansion project by the Ken Garff family, the single largest donation in Utah Athletics history. Harlan called the donation at the time a “transformation gift” that will “allow for a new and enhanced experience for our faithful fan base.”

Populous will partner with Salt Lake City-based architectural firm VCBO in the design of the expansion project.

“Rice-Eccles Stadium is one of the best atmospheres in college football and once the expansion is complete, the stadium will have something for every fan to enjoy,” said Jeremy Krug, Populous’ lead designer on this project, in a prepared statement.”

Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.

Coliseum facilitates a dialogue between stadiums, arenas, clubs, leagues and experts and enables them to learn from each other while establishing relationships. Coliseum’s digital 365Coliseum Business Center is a vast pool of resource for the stadium and arena industry world-wide.