GAMEDAY AND BEYOND
Concurrent to the design and construction of the three new buildings were enhancements to the stadium that combine history and innovative technology, making an already spectacular gameday for 80,000 Fighting Irish fans an even more memorable experience.
The two sideline buildings extend the length of the field and rise 3 stories above the stadium bowl. In these structures are indoor and outdoor hospitality seating and clubs.
Dramatic views of the playing field and campus are now possible from the terraces atop each of these buildings; fans and alumni can gather on these terraces for a more intimate sporting experience. In addition, there are necessary accommodations for press, broadcast, coaches and gameday management, including the NBC broadcast facilities.
Notable improvements for gameday include new stadium technology—video and ribbon boards, stadium sound and field lighting. Broadcast-quality, energy-efficient LED stadium lighting has been installed, providing exceptional visibility of the field and dramatic lighting of the seating bowl.
A first for the Notre Dame Stadium is the addition of a video board at the south end of the field, measuring 54-feet high and 95-feet wide with a 4.7-million-pixel high-resolution image. New sideline ribbon boards along the east and west sides of the stadium display key game statistics. This upgrade in technology facilitated removal of the previous scoreboard at the north end of the bowl, providing improved sightlines to the famous mural on the Hesburgh Library, affectionately known as Touchdown Jesus.
STADIUM RENOVATIONS
Notre Dame fans hold a special place in their hearts for the original Rockne-era stadium. While it is still there, the original façade was obscured by an expansion in 1997 and only exists as a part of the concourse today.
Different from other buildings on campus, the original façade has a brick blend that is much more orange in hue and incorporates art deco stone detailing in lieu of the more common collegiate gothic. To celebrate this difference, the renovated concourse leans heavily into the history of Notre Dame football and borrows from those details, emphasizing that this stadium is the “House that Rockne Built”.
Art deco-inspired brick and limestone column enclosures support custom light fixtures that march the entire length of the concourse, creating an ambiance that didn’t exist before. Period-correct fonts were used to create new wayfinding signage that incorporates historic program covers from the team’s 133-year history. Original wood concession façades, nearly 90-years old, were restored and are highlighted throughout the original stadium.
The renovations were more than just aesthetic. For years, the stadium’s plumbing was drained after the final game of the season to prevent freezing. A new system of recirculating pumps, along with other methods of heating, keep toilet rooms and concessions operational when temperatures drop below freezing, allowing the stadium to operate year-round. In 2019, this enabled the university to host the Winter Classic, the annual NHL hockey event.
Gameday improvements weren’t limited to fan amenities. The north end zone entry tunnel, being mostly exposed concrete from the 1997 addition, was renovated with the same art deco detailing of the concourse. Acting as the entry point for the home team, this zone houses new media rooms, officials’ locker rooms, equipment storage, the visiting team locker room and Schivarelli Players’ Lounge.
The preservation of history is capped off within the renovated home team locker room. Original 1930s glazed brick was meticulously salvaged and used throughout. Custom millwork, lockers, flooring and wall panels were designed to evoke the Rockne era. This theme extends to the smallest of details from the selection of mirrors to the tile patterns in the showers.
The stadium renovations allow future generations to create their own experience in this iconic structure while recalling the greatness of Notre Dame football history.
The entire Campus Crossroads project was a monumental undertaking for the University of Notre Dame, as well as for the design and construction team. The most rewarding part of this experience was seeing Campus Crossroads come alive—on gameday with 80,000 cheering fans and on each day of the academic year with thousands of students and faculty using the new buildings. A once quiet part of Notre Dame campus now is filled with the life of a great university.
PHOTOS: MATT CASHORE PHOTOGRAPHY
Retrofit Team
- EXECUTIVE ARCHITECT (for all parts of the project except the stadium concourses and lockers): The SLAM Collaborative
- ORIGINAL STADIUM CONCOURSES and TEAM SPACES: Integrated Design Solutions
- DESIGN-BUILD CONSTRUCTION MANAGER: Barton Malow
- SPORTS ARCHITECT: HOK Architects
- EARLY-PHASE DESIGN: RATIO
- DUNCAN HALL STUDENT CENTER DESIGN: Workshop Architects
- LEAD INTERIOR DESIGN: The SLAM Collaborative
- FOLEY’S HOSPITALITY SPACE, UNIVERSITY SUITES AND 9TH FLOOR CLUBS INTERIOR DESIGN: Champalimaud
- ENGINEER: BVH Integrated Services
- STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: SDI Structures
- CULINARY DESIGN: Ricca Design Studios
- SPORTS VIDEO and DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY: WJHW
- NEW CONSTRUCTION and STADIUM RENOVATION GRAPHICS and BRANDING: Cardosi Kiper Design Group
Materials
BRICK: The Belden Brick Co.
CAST STONE: Southside Precast Products
TERRACE PAVERS: Hanover
GLASS FIBER REINFORCED GYPSUM: Plasterform from Armstrong Ceiling & Wall Solutions
WINDOWS: Wausau Window and Wall Systems
EXTERIOR DOORS: The Cook & Boardman Group
INTERIOR DOORS: Masonite
ROOFING: Fibertite
GREEN ROOFS: LiveRoof
HARDWARE: Allegion
CARPET: J+J Flooring and Mohawk and Durkan
CERAMIC TILE: Garden State Tile
EPOXY FLOORING: Stonhard
SPORTS FLOORING: Connor Sports
CEILINGS: Armstrong Ceiling & Wall Solutions
MILLWORK: Imperial Woodworking Co.
LABORATORY CASEWORK: Kewaunee Scientific
WATER CLOSETS, URINALS, FLUSHOMETERS, FAUCETS AND SOAP
DISPENSERS: Sloan
OPERABLE PARTITIONS: Modernfold
WINDOW BLINDS: Mecho
THEATRICAL RIGGING: JR Clancy
ELEVATORS: Otis
STADIUM SEATING: Irwin Seating Co.
AUDIOVISUAL: New Era Technology
VIDEO BOARDS: ANC
STADIUM LIGHTING: Musco