Design group imagines a second act for Houston’s Astrodome

Fifteen years after the Astrodome shut its doorways, the long-lasting Houston landmark stays a supply of fascination and imaginative potential. Not too long ago, a bunch of architects and engineers earned skilled recognition for his or her concept to breathe new life into what was as soon as known as the “eighth marvel of the world.”

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) holds an annual competitors to see who can give you the most effective design to rework an current construction into one thing new, and this 12 months, the problem was a well-known one: envisioning a extra fashionable and eco-friendly Astrodome. The University of Houston (UH) introduced this month that the profitable entry got here from a group that included UH structure professor Mili Kyropoulou. Their proposal to show the defunct stadium right into a eating and retail area with a 500-room lodge, a botanical backyard, and a sports activities historical past museum took first place. 

The group drew inspiration from the Dome’s environment, together with the NRG stadium subsequent door, close by neighborhoods and rail connections. Whereas design plans depart many of the construction intact, one modification contains tearing a gap within the constructing’s east facet to make room for a promenade that stretches to the sunshine rail. “We determined to open up the constructing, actually chopping off a chunk to that facet to create a visible and experiential connection to the town,” Kyropoulou stated in an interview with KHOU 11’s Marcelino Benito.

Renderings additionally present an indoor avenue circling a forty five,000-square-foot backyard because the multi-level construction is split by use. Whereas an underground parking space is included to complement floor tons, the stadium’s first degree—spanning greater than 77,000 sq. ft—could be used for outlets, eating places and bars, in line with a abstract of the plan. Ranges 2 by means of 4 could be devoted to the lodge, leaving the topmost flooring for a 68,000-square-foot immersive museum. On prime of sports activities memorabilia, the museum would come outfitted with augmented actuality know-how to recreate the Astrodome’s most notable occasions. 

“We have been having a number of enjoyable,” Alfonso Hernandez, an architect with the profitable group, advised KHOU 11. “At work, we’ve got to take care of budgets, however with this one, it was simply let’s have a look at what we are able to do with it.”

Since minimizing the stadium’s environmental impression was a contest requirement, the group developed its design with that objective in thoughts. Their plans concerned the creation of extra outside and semi-outdoor areas, the introduction of solar-powered know-how and the set up of extra energy-efficient lighting, heating, and air flow programs.

Whereas the idea at present solely exists in principle and officers with Harris County—which owns the ability, in line with the Astrodome Conservancy—haven’t commented on the thought, Kyropoulou stated that she hopes her group’s imaginative and prescient will encourage others sooner or later. “Our design would give an excellent perspective of integrating a design idea with the atmosphere,” she stated within the UH information launch.

“Paris has the Eiffel Tower, New York has the Empire State Constructing, London has Massive Ben, and what does Houston have? It has the Astrodome. We have to reserve it,” Hernandez added in his interview with KHOU 11.