Brief:

• An AECOM Hunt and Turner joint venture broke ground on the $2 billion Intuit Dome — the future home of the Los Angeles Clippers — in Inglewood, California, Sept. 17. AECOM designed the arena, according to a press release.
• When the new, 18,000-seat arena opens in 2024, the Clippers will be done sharing their home court. The NBA franchise will depart the Staples Center — where it shares its home games with the Los Angeles Lakers — for the Intuit Dome (shown above in an official rendering) beginning with the 2024-2025 season, ESPN reported.
• The project’s hefty price tag would place it as the country’s third most expensive arena, according to a 2020 ranking of costly sports venues. Intuit would be behind only MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and SoFi Stadium, also in Los Angeles.

Insight:

On the day of the groundbreaking, the Clippers announced they aim to make Intuit Dome the first climate positive arena in the country. Sustainability goals include:

• Introducing the “Planet Protection Fund” to help customers offset their carbon footprint when they purchase tickets to view games.
• Earning LEED-Platinum certification.
• Making the arena 100% carbon free from its first day of operation.
• The use of 100% embodied carbon concrete.
• Natural ventilation.
• Solar powered batteries and green energy storage.
• A comprehensive waste reduction program.

As viewing sporting events at home has become easier and more accessible, stadiums have had to find new ways to attract fans to buy tickets and attend games in person. Modern stadiums are often developed with the surrounding area, building up parks and restaurants to help cultivate a start-to-finish gameday experience.

Additionally, teams have turned to making sure that those who attend the game are more comfortable. Modern stadiums feature suites, boxes and amenities to entice fans to shell out extra cash to watch their teams play in luxury. The Clippers are the latest to jump onto that trend.

In a novel addition to the gameday experience, the new arena will have what the Clippers call “Courtside Cabanas.” Exterior seats outside the cabana will be courtside, while an area behind it provides a window to watch the game up close from more privacy. There will also be “Backstage Bungalows” for getting out of seats before the game and during halftime.

Intuit’s climate goal is also ambitious, though the Clippers aren’t the first to set their sights on sustainability. NHL team Seattle Kraken is about to open Climate Pledge Arena, the first net zero carbon sports venue. They’ll play their first home game on Oct. 23.

This article was originball;y written by Zachary Phillips and appeared here.