Jacksonville Jaguars hired architectural firm HOK to serve as a design consultant for the proposed TIAA Bank Field renovation, team president Mark Lamping told VenuesNow last week.
“It’s not a project yet,” Lamping told VenuesNow. “We want to be in a place where we know what a renovated stadium looks like and how do you renovate while still trying to play an NFL game. We are in a good place. If we do go ahead, we will basically get a new stadium built on top of the existing structure.”
In October, Lamping notified the Florida Times-Union that Jaguar was in the early stages of designing renovations to the team’s stadium. According to VenuesNow, HOK won the job over seven competitors who all submitted initial concepts for the job.
The Jaguars have played at TIAA Bank Field since their first season in the NFL in 1995. In the nearly three decades since its opening, the stadium has undergone several renovations including the construction of a 362-foot high scoreboard and swimming pool.
At the top of the priority list this time is the construction of a shading roof.
“One of the things we found that we were sure of is how comfortable a full-roof stadium can be, if you’re sensitive to airflow,” Lamping said. “We don’t need a climate controlled building in Jacksonville like they need in LA, but we do need shade on all seats and protection from rain if we hope to increase the amount of non-NFL business we can give back to the stadium.
Among previous NFL work for HOK were Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, and the recent renovation to add a roof canopy at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
The story originally appeared on Jaguar’s Wire