NBBJ was asked by the newly formed Lansdowne Park Conservancy to develop a concept for the renovation of Frank Clair Stadium as well as other enhancements to Lansdowne Park itself.
In order to reach the target seating capacity of 24,000 in the stadium, NBBJ has developed a design concept that would create a new South Stand consisting of approximately 11,000 seats. This concept includes the addition of 19 suites to the new South Stand and extending seating around the west side. The west end of the stadium would also be designed to be transformed into a stage for concerts and other performance type entertainment. The east end of the stadium takes the form of a grass berm which can be used for informal seating.
All necessary concessions, restrooms, and other support space are provided for the added seating capacity. A large video scoreboard is planned at the west end of the stadium. The new seating will be covered by a roof / canopy structure which will support an array of photovoltaic panels with capacity to generate approximately 500KW.The playing field is sized to accommodate Canadian Football as well as MLS Soccer and will update the existing Field Turf surface. The AV systems such as Broadcast Production, Cable TV, Sound System, and Video all meet CFL and MLS criteria. The design team has also included two renderings, showing the stadium with only the North Stand to give a comparison of the effect the South Stands have on the overall development of Lansdowne Park.
Enhancements to the park include an amphitheatre with band shell; an outdoor heated all season mineral water swimming pool with 50m lanes as well as shallow water recreational areas. Conversion of much of the asphalt paving to grass and landscaping is a fundamental change to the existing Park. Reflecting pools and other water elements are added on an axis with the main entry from Bank Street to the Aberdeen Building and on the east side of the Aberdeen to strengthen the view corridors to the Aberdeen Building. The historic buildings will be protected and the Horticulture and Coliseum Building would be renovated to allow retail businesses at the street level.
According to the report, the primary driver of the design was the desire to restore the Landsdowne Park to a user friendly urban gathering place. The stadium must be integrated into the park in a way that does not dominate and negatively impact other daily use of the park.
Lansdowne Park contains Frank Clair Stadium, the Urbandale Centre arena, the Aberdeen Pavilion hall, Coliseum and the Horticulture heritage building and additional exhibition space. The park has also been the site of the annual Central Canada Exhibition for over 122 years.
In the summer of 2008, a part of the stadium was destroyed because of the crumbling infrastructure, reducing the seating capacity from 28,826 to 14,542. The design goals by Lansdowne Park Conservancy and NBBJ are expected to bring back the glory of the Lansdowne Park past history for sports while maintaining some exhibition and social functions, promoting entertainment both indoor as well as outdoor, and creating a lively mix of stores, boutiques, restaurants, cafes and market shopping at a human scale surrounded by beautiful landscaping.
The basic design goals can be summed into: creation of a sustainable ‘Living Building + Environment’; integration of innovative technology into the overall design; and creation of a design that is both socially and environmentally responsible.
