What architecture experts like — and don't — about Commanders' stadium designs
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Rendering: Courtesy Washington Commanders and HKS
The Washington Commanders just released renderings of their future stadium at the RFK site — and the exterior, ringed by a white colonnade, appears to satisfy Trump allies' request for classical features.
Why it matters: The first look from architect HKS says a lot about the $3.7 billion project, and how it could integrate — or not — into D.C.'s skyline for decades to come.
Key design aspects: Transparent domed roof for year-round use.
- "Aligned with the historic L'Enfant Plan," the team says, with a main entrance on axis with the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument. Both visible in the skyline.
- A colonnade ringing virtually the entire building.
- Clear parallels between the new design and RFK Stadium's iconic swooping roofline.
One intriguing expert take: John Onyango, chair of Howard University's architecture department, says the reveal speaks to the zeitgeist.
- RFK was "very brutalist, very heavy, concrete," says Onyango. "The new [design] is very light, a kind of new formalism" that emerged mid-century and mixes classical elements with modern ones (e.g. the Kennedy Center).
- In the 1960s, we wanted to telegraph strength — "we're having the Cuban crisis. Strength was very, very important." Today, "we talk about transparency and openness. That's what you see in this design."
Another take: It looks a little like a certain iconic airport.
- "The columns and the curvature you see, there's a nod to Dulles," architect and urbanist Dhiru A. Thadani tells Axios. "It's much more expressive at Dulles, but there's a hint of that."
- Airport vibes might not vibe with the neighbors who fill the brick Hill East rowhouses around it, though. Thadani, who's worked in D.C. for nearly 50 years, says a towering white stadium would be at risk of "looking like it was dropped in."
Yes, but: "It succeeds," he says, "in picking up on the monumentality of monumental Washington."
- And that would align with the wishlist Trump ally Will Scharf recently laid out to team reps.
- ICYMI: The chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, which has a say over the final design, said he hoped the stadium incorporates "classical, neoclassical elements."
Friction point: Tailgating space, or lack thereof.
- Whereas RFK was surrounded by a sea of parking and asphalt — an eyesore to some, prime grilling and chugging territory to others — the new renderings show a stadium more smoothly incorporated into its surroundings. But no clear tailgating space.
- But as 106.7 the fan sports commenter JP Finlay said on his broadcast: "To quote 'Jurassic Park,' 'Life finds a way.' If you're a truly committed tailgate person, you know what you'll end up doing? Find a place."
Zoom out: The Commanders' architect, HKS, designed recent NFL projects like SoFi Stadium in LA.
- "We're designing a stadium that amplifies the energy of football, supports year-round events and becomes a place the community can be proud of," Commanders president Mark Clouse said in a statement.
What's next: The NCPC, led by Scharf and other Trump allies, will review the design. The team wants the stadium to open in 2030.
