Housed under one checkered roofscape, the upcoming East Austin District by BIG is a new sports and entertainment hub for the evolving city of Austin, Texas. BIG recently unveiled their scheme for the massive 1.3 million square-foot campus, which will bring about the city's first professional sports stadium and large-scale music arena.

The East Austin District will be “a village of courtyards and canopies” instead of a monolithic stadium, Bjarke Ingels says. At the heart of the project is a 40,000-seat stadium (for huge soccer and rugby matches and music festivals), which will then connect to a 15,000-seat multi-purpose arena for events like basketball and hockey games, musical acts, and Rodeo Austin. The project's rooftop will be covered in red photovoltaic panels that might “someday allow the self-sufficient district to share its energy resources community-wide”, BIG describes.

Image © BIG.

Image © BIG.

Image © BIG.

Image © BIG.

The stadium and arena will be conjoined by 190,000 square feet of facilities and support functions to optimize efficiency and let visitors take in views of both the stadium and arena. For the interior design of the District's buildings, BIG looked to Austin's local barn and porch vernacular.



Image © BIG.

Image © BIG.

Image © BIG.

Inspired by Austin's patio culture, the District will also have eight outdoor “living room” courtyards that'll be sandwiched between the buildings. The edge of the District will accommodate retail, dining, and hospitality and offer 28,000 square-feet of youth facilities for local schools and other community programs. A completion date of the project is yet to be announced.



Image © BIG.