The architect of the Buffalo Bills' new stadium has spoken out to defend the design as fans continue to voice their thoughts on the fact that some sections ahave obstructed views of the field
Fans have complained about views being obstructed at the new HIghmark Stadium
Fans have complained about views being obstructed at the new HIghmark Stadium(Image: YouTube/Buffalo Bills)
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The architect of the new Highmark Stadium has come to the defense after Buffalo Bills fans voiced their concerns about the venue.
During the Bills' preseason "Blue and Red Practice," fans took to social media to complain about the new stadium, with some sharing how the view from specific seats was obstructed by railings, plexiglass barriers, and other structures. Since then, the organization has been in crisis mode, addressing NFL fans' concerns.
Now, the design firm in charge of working on the stadium has spoken out, which comes after it was revealed fans would be on the hook for part of the stadium's cost, as they pay an additional six percent in surcharges.
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"Starting with just the building type, stadiums in general or airports, these are some of the most complex buildings in the world that we have to deal with," Jonathan Mallie, the managing director of Populous' Americas Practice, the architecture firm in charge of building the new Highmark Stadium, said to WGR 550.
"When you think about that, all of design are trade-offs. And so one major thing that we wanted to do was alleviate as much congestion on the concourses as possible. Create open views from concourse. Old Highmark didn't have this.
"So, old Highmark you're going behind a wall and you're going to get your food, to get your drink. So we wanted to keep those stairwells out of that concourse and put them on that leading edge. And this is not unique to Buffalo. So there are 21 professional stadiums between the NFL and Major League Baseball – 14 of which in the NFL – that have the outboard stairs.
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The new Highmark Stadium officially opened on Saturday, Aug. 8
The new Highmark Stadium officially opened on Saturday, Aug. 8(Image: Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
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"It's common practice. It's a way to create those views from the concourse, alleviate the congestion. And so when you go and get your drink, you can actually catch a view of the game."
Mallie concluded that the fans' obstructed views reflect a decision made to ensure the field is visible from the concourse.
"So when you have that opportunity to maybe duck in and get out of the elements for a minute. You go get your drink, but you can still have an eyeball on the game. And that's a complete departure from old Highmark. Just a noticeable difference," he concluded.
Mallie is just the latest figure to speak on Bills fans' issues at the new Highmark Stadium. After fans began complaining about obstructed sightlines, the team released a brief statement addressing the situation that supporters have experienced.
"Thank you to Bills Mafia for setting a new attendance record with more than 50,000 fans at the Return of the Blue & Red," the Bills said in a statement. "Saturday's practice was a great opportunity to test the new stadium. We are currently addressing internal and external feedback regarding the facility's operation following the first event."
Bills COO Pete Guelli also issued a statement, defending the stadium and its flaws as the noise surrounding the venue continued to grow. "Any building you would walk into, there would be some obstructed seating," he said in a media conference call.
"There are seats where we could create a different design, put in a blank area, or they give you the option to put in a seat that might be obstructed for football, but can be used for any other event like a concert. There’s always partial-view or limited-view seats, and we think those were pretty clearly depicted in our virtual venue."
He added, "Relative to that specific issue, we feel very confident what was represented via the virtual venue is accurate to what people saw when they sat in their seats. If anybody feels otherwise, we’re taking this on a case-by-case basis, and we’ll address any concerns that they have."