BBVA Compass Stadium | Houston Dynamo

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Product

SL70

Application

Sports Venues

Architect

Populous

Free Consultation Get Pricing

Unobstructed Field Views from the Stadium Press Box

Houston’s unusually large number of soccer fans does not change the fact that there is a reticence to invest in Major League Soccer in the United States. That’s one reason the home stadium of the MLS team, the Houston Dynamo, was designed with a much smaller budget than most major city sports venues.

But growing interest in the sport among Americans required design foresight. BBVA Compass Stadium needed to be a cost-effective yet world-class venue for professional soccer. Ultimately, the project yielded a striking, metal mesh-enclosed addition to downtown Houston for a remarkable $95 million final price tag.

Broadcast Press Box Designed for Flexible Viewing

With broadcasts of matches carried by major networks and cable outlets internationally, the press box for the stadium required equal attention to detail. An equally important design constraint was meeting the requirements of both broadcasters and owners. As a result, a NanaWall system ultimately occupied the window-wall configuration of the press box.

Opening Glass Walls Connect Broadcasters to the Field

Major League Soccer and national broadcast networks require obstruction-free viewing from television broadcast booths. To meet this requirement, the press box needed a system that could provide clear views of the field while supporting other uses of the space.

The NanaWall system provides unobstructed views when open and allows the press box to remain enclosed and conditioned when closed, giving the space flexibility beyond live broadcasts.

“NanaWall’s sturdy construction also protects the press box from wind and weather when not in use, and the thermally broken construction provides a high level of insulative value.”

Clear Field Views Whether Open or Closed

The press box at BBVA Compass Stadium features 10 panels of NanaWall’s SL70 Monumental Thermally Broken Aluminum Framed Folding System, split between two openings. With a running astragal designed to provide extra stability, the system offers broadcasters a choice: broad, unobstructed views when open or a conditioned interior space when closed.

The result provides a clear vantage point from which to deliver live running commentary on Dynamo matches and other events that take place on the field.

Flexible Press Box Use in Any Weather

The NanaWall opening glass wall system allows the stadium press box to maintain clear views of the field during events while supporting other uses when broadcasts are not taking place. The space can remain open to the field or enclosed as weather and operating conditions require.

When closed, the system helps protect the press box from wind and weather, while its thermally broken construction provides added insulation for a more comfortable conditioned interior.

Folding Glass Panels Store Outside the Press Box

Meanwhile, NanaWall’s contribution to the press box solved the tight-budget project perfectly while offering a number of features that competitors’ sliding and folding systems could not. In particular, the completely unobstructed view end-to-end when in the fully open position.

A Cost-Effective Solution for a World-Class Soccer Stadium

Beahm also noted the success that NanaWall had in acquiring this piece of business: “The clients required a competitive bid process for all specifications,” he recalls. “Though there were some other systems that met the specified criteria, the project was ultimately awarded to NanaWall based on their competitive bid.”

What Our Customers Have to Say

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Salt Rivers Field | Arizona Diamondbacks & Colorado Rockies

Salt River Fields uses NanaWall systems to create flexible training, media, and stadium spaces that connect athletes and staff to the game while extending workouts into the outdoors.

See Case Study

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