The Construction of Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia (Essay Sample)

Topic: A Review of The Construction of Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
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A Review of The Construction of Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Mercedes Benz stadium is a $1.6 billion state of the art stadium that was inaugurated in 2017 as a replacement of the Georgia Dome stadium. It is the official stadium for Atlanta United FC and Atlanta Falcons United where they play soccer and American football respectively, having a carrying capacity of 71, 000. Its construction began in May 2014 and launched in August 2017. Wikipedia, which has done a great review of the stadium since its construction to inauguration, highlights the major changes that took place during its construction, the technical and structural challenges encountered and its final success. It also focuses on the additional constructions and renovations done in order to meet the original plan. The Atlanta Journal Constitution highlights some of the technical challenges the stadium faces and how they were solved. Moreover, Arthur Blank, who is the club owner of Atlanta Falcons United and Atlanta United FC, notes the impact the stadium has on the community. Much more information is withdrawn from the documentary film “Rising Up” by David Lewis Productions which was released on November 2021 as a summary the whole construction process to its opening. It mentions the impact the stadium has on the surrounding environment and the major problems encountered during its construction.
In any construction project, there are always challenges faced but thanks to our hard-working engineers who spend their time to make sure they achieve their original plans. Mercedes Benz Stadium was not an exception. To start with, the project was greatly hit by underfunding. Capital is a vital factor when it comes to any project. Wikipedia mentions that the construction of the stadium was initially slated to cost $1 billion. However, due to the extra renovations that were to be done, another $500 million had to be spent. This led to a halt in the project thereby forcing the construction team to seek funds from other sources. The city agreed to contribute $200 million in stadium bonds with additional tax revenues. The state of Georgia added $40 million for parking expansion. To increase further funding, Falcons announced the sale of personal seat licenses worth $ 45, 000 per seat.
Vekich, chair of the Minnesota Sports Facility Authority agrees that anytime you have something architecturally different and unique, you will certainly have some things that need adjusting. This was the case in the construction of Mercedes Benz Stadium. The roof of the stadium could not open on its own due to its complexity. It consisted of 8 triangular panels which were to move simultaneously at the push of a button. However, this was not the case at the first trial hence the panels had to be moved manually by dozens of workers. This forced the opening of the stadium to be postponed for three times. This in turn affected the scheduled games that were to be played in the stadium be moved to other stadiums.
Furthermore, the stadium lacked natural grass and this forced the building committee to opt for artificial turf grass which was initially not included in the budget. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the lead architect Bill Johnson found out that it was impossible to have natural grass in the building as it was so tall and it could not receive enough light necessary for the growth. Artificial turf grass is quite expensive compared to natural grass because it has to be replaced regularly.
Despite all these challenges, the overworking engineers and architects made tireless efforts to make sure that the stadium came to a perfect completion. Unique it its own way, it offers exquisite experience to fans who devote their time to support their teams. Since launch of the stadium, Atlanta and the neighboring cities have immensely improved economically. Bars, restaurants, hotels and retail shops near the stadium have improved thei