Mercedes-Benz Stadium: Automaker inks naming rights to Atlanta’s $1.2 billion venue

If you go to an Atlanta Falcons or Atlanta United home game in 2017, you’ll be heading to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The automaker announced its purchase of the venue’s naming rights today, which includes a contract valid until 2042. Although the financial details were not disclosed, the striking facility itself has been projected to cost some $1.2 billion, and after taking a look at the specs, it’s easy to see why.

The standout feature of Mercedes-Benz Stadium is its oculus-style retractable roof, which opens and closes like the shutter of a camera. Inspired by the ancient Rome Pantheon, the incredible system features eight distinct “petals” that slide open in less than eight minutes, resembling the outline of a sunflower when fully extended.

Inside, there are 83,000 seats with views of the Atlanta skyline and a high-definition, 360-degree “halo” video board that is nearly six stories tall, one that Mercedes calls the first of its kind. The high-tech trimmings don’t stop at the screen though, because the stadium will also boast a technology lounge packed with digital media, an exterior fan plaza measuring 61,000 square feet, and an adjustable seating arrangement than can shrink or grow depending on the event.

“Mercedes-Benz fits all of the criteria we set out in finding a naming rights partner,” said Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank. ”Their name and reputation fit the iconic image of the building; they are committed to excellence in customer service and experience; their values mesh with those of the Falcons, Atlanta United and the rest of our businesses; and they are a company that embraces the communities in which they do business.”

For a closer look, check out this digitized fly-through of the new stadium, courtesy of the Atlanta Falcons YouTube page.

from Planet GS via John Jason Fallows on Inoreader http://ift.tt/1JhlI95
Andrew Hard