HKS Wins 2024 AIA Architecture Award for SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced that HKS has won a 2024 AIA Architecture Award for the design of SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, a 298-acre sports and entertainment complex in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood.
The awards were officially announced at AIA24, the AIA’s national conference in Washington, D.C.
AIA’s annual Architecture Award celebrates the best contemporary architecture. The award program is intended to showcase a range of outstanding work and highlight the many ways buildings and environments can improve our lives. To select the winning projects, a jury evaluates entrants according to the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence, a set of ten principles for achieving sustainable, resilient and accessible design.
“HKS is committed to design excellence,” said Dan Noble, HKS CEO & Chairman. “We strive to create places that lift the spirit, lower environmental impact and perform at the highest level for the people and communities we serve. SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park balance function and beauty in a cohesive space that speaks to the energy of human performance.”
The project includes three primary programmatic elements under one signature roof: SoFi Stadium, the National Football League’s premiere venue; YouTube Theater, a 6,000-seat live entertainment performance venue; and American Airlines Plaza, which connects the stadium and theater. Beyond the sweeping structure, the development includes 25 acres of green space including landscaped parks, trails and a lake. The design honors the local climate, culture and community to provide a uniquely Southern California experience.
Los Angeles Rams Owner and Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke is the primary force behind SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park. Kroenke challenged HKS to design a venue that would become the entertainment epicenter of one of the world’s biggest entertainment havens: Los Angeles.
“I’d like to thank Mr. Kroenke for partnering with us on creating the most impactful sports venue in the world,” said Mark A. Williams, HKS Partner and Global Sector Director, Venues.
When SoFi Stadium opened it changed the way fans experience sports and live entertainment from both a physical and virtual perspective,” said Williams. “I’m proud that our team created a holistic piece of architecture that delivers an extraordinary experience for all.”
California’s see-and-be-seen culture is embedded in the fan experience at SoFi Stadium, which features integrated technology such as the seating bowl’s center-hung, multisided Oculus videoboard.
The stadium’s 3-million-square foot (278,709-square-meter) indoor-outdoor design showcases the best of the Pacific coast climate. “You get the access and feeling of being in an outdoor venue – the movement of the air, the quality of the natural light – and protection from the sun and rain. It’s the best of both worlds,” said Lance Evans, HKS Partner and Venues Design Director.
The site is designed to be active 365 days a year, for activities ranging from major stadium events to neighborhood gatherings such as farmers markets. In addition, it has been used as a voter registration spot and a site for administering COVID-19 vaccinations, all testaments to how SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park do more for Inglewood and the surrounding area than serve solely as an entertainment venue.
Evans said such events “are equally important and necessary for a vibrant piece of architecture for the community.”
