Page 39 - Summer_2019

ArchDC Summer 2019.qxp_Spring 2019 5/22/19 2:57 PM Page 37

Relocating the lines was prohibitively expensive, but Pepco required
access along the entire length for maintenance. Ultimately an
easement was worked out: the lines remain below-grade, cutting
through the site, with a 24-foot-tall air space above for 24-hour,
365-day-a-year access.
“The easement was a really complicated aspect of the site that
drove the design of the building,” said project architect Knight. If
the pitch (as the playing field for soccer is known) were centered on
the site, the Pepco lines would run under the field, which would
be subject to being torn up—potentially literally in the middle of a
game—should a power emergency arise. Accordingly, the pitch,
instead of running in the typical location at the center of the stadium,
was shifted to be closer to the west side of the site (Second Street,
SW). This creates an asymmetrical arrangement in which the east
stands are much taller and deeper than the west stands, breaking
the form of a uniform bowl and lending variety to seating types
and spectator experiences.
At most modern stadiums such as Nationals Park and
Camden Yards, the playing field is well below the level of the
entrance. Thanks to the Pepco lines, this was not possible at Audi
Field. Almost uniquely in the world of pro sport facilities, its pitch
is at grade level. A pedestrian outside of Audi Field can glimpse
the green grass of the pitch from several places, as well as slivers
of the spectator stands. This means that spectators and players can
see outward, as well. This arrangement is reminiscent of many
high school or minor league stadiums, in that it connects the sport
to the surrounding city in a direct and highly engaging way.
The Pepco easement also forced a very particular shape and
form to the east stands. Only four rows of seats fit between the
Pepco swath and the pitch. The next section of seats jumps up to
clear the Pepco air rights, creating some of the best seats in a
soccer stadium anywhere—seats that are horizontally quite close
to the field but raised up enough to allow viewers to follow the ball
more easily. These are, accordingly, designated as “club seats.” Above
the club seats are a ring of suites and the press box. Above that,
the extra width of the east side allowed a large area of relatively
inexpensive general admission seats. One might dismiss them as
the “nosebleed” seats, except that, thanks to the way that the site
molded the building, they are closer to the pitch and have better
sightlines than many stadiums’ higher-end seating areas.
If one knows that the easement is there, it is clearly visible—
an unobstructed shaft of space running under the full length of
the east stands. Most of the time, it serves as a service vehicle lane,
accommodating the necessities of deliveries and pickups. On game
days it becomes part of the spectator circulation. Portable food
and souvenir carts lend it the feeling of a fairly normal spectator
concourse, but they can all be moved at a moment’s notice should
there be a Pepco emergency.
If the physical and operational ramifications of the Pepco lines
were challenging, they were at least specific. A more ambiguous
challenge that faced the design team was the array of sometimes
conflicting desires of city officials, acting primarily through the DC
Office of Planning (DCOP), and adjacent property owners. Essentially,
the design team was tasked to respond simultaneously to past and
future contexts, without ignoring the present: the fast-disappearing
industrial past of Buzzard Point; the present context, including the
National Defense University at Fort McNair to the west and
low-scale residential neighborhoods to the north; and planned
future developments at the east and south sides, expected to be

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