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NEWS
Enormous steel falcon touches down by $1.5bn Atlanta stadium
POSTED 16 May 2017 . BY Kim Megson
The statue, which represents the team’s signature falcon, is the biggest bird representation in the world Credit: Timi Szoke
A 13m (43ft) bird of prey has found a perch front of the new US$1.5bn (€1.3bn, £1.1bn) home of NFL franchise the Atlanta Falcons.

The statue, which represents the team’s signature falcon, is the biggest bird representation in the world and the biggest sculpture ever created by Hungarian artist Gabor Miklos Szoke. It’s wingspan is 20m (66ft) long and it weighs 73,000 pounds (33 tonnes).

Millions of people will enter the the futuristic stadium, designed by architects HOK, from underneath the wings of the falcon – which is captured in the moment of touchdown with a giant football.

"I have always liked to spark a reaction, to think in monumental dimensions, to conquer new spaces with my animals and creatures, to bring them to life,” said Szoke. “This is the biggest project in my career. It is a special honour for me that I was asked to do this.”

The artist has worked on the project for over a year with his artistic partner Berta Hauer, a team of 150 people and the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. The bird is formed of over 1,000 pieces of stainless steel and had to be built in sections of four pieces. These were shipped from Budapest to Atlanta for assembly.



The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is scheduled to open 26 August for a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals; slightly later than the originally scheduled opening date, due to construction delays with the facility's unique retractable roof.

A flyover video of the stadium, filmed in December, can be viewed below:

The artist has worked on the project for over a year with his artistic partner Berta Hauer, a team of 150 people and the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia Credit: Timi Szoke
Millions of people will enter the the futuristic stadium, designed by architects HOK, from underneath the wings of the falcon Credit: Timi Szoke
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is scheduled to open 26 August for a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals Credit: Mercedes Benz Stadium
PROJECT PROFILE:

New Atlanta Falcons Stadium
American football side the Atlanta Falcons has released a fly-through video of its new US$1.4bn (€1.2bn, £922m) stadium, set to open in downtown Atlanta in 2017. The unique multi-use stadium, which includes an eight-petal retractable roof – a first for any stadium – and the world’s largest 360 degree HD video screen viewable from everywhere inside the stadium, has a capacity of up to 83,000 people.

Location: Atlanta , United States

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NEWS
Enormous steel falcon touches down by $1.5bn Atlanta stadium
POSTED 16 May 2017 . BY Kim Megson
The statue, which represents the team’s signature falcon, is the biggest bird representation in the world Credit: Timi Szoke
A 13m (43ft) bird of prey has found a perch front of the new US$1.5bn (€1.3bn, £1.1bn) home of NFL franchise the Atlanta Falcons.

The statue, which represents the team’s signature falcon, is the biggest bird representation in the world and the biggest sculpture ever created by Hungarian artist Gabor Miklos Szoke. It’s wingspan is 20m (66ft) long and it weighs 73,000 pounds (33 tonnes).

Millions of people will enter the the futuristic stadium, designed by architects HOK, from underneath the wings of the falcon – which is captured in the moment of touchdown with a giant football.

"I have always liked to spark a reaction, to think in monumental dimensions, to conquer new spaces with my animals and creatures, to bring them to life,” said Szoke. “This is the biggest project in my career. It is a special honour for me that I was asked to do this.”

The artist has worked on the project for over a year with his artistic partner Berta Hauer, a team of 150 people and the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. The bird is formed of over 1,000 pieces of stainless steel and had to be built in sections of four pieces. These were shipped from Budapest to Atlanta for assembly.



The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is scheduled to open 26 August for a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals; slightly later than the originally scheduled opening date, due to construction delays with the facility's unique retractable roof.

A flyover video of the stadium, filmed in December, can be viewed below:

The artist has worked on the project for over a year with his artistic partner Berta Hauer, a team of 150 people and the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia Credit: Timi Szoke
Millions of people will enter the the futuristic stadium, designed by architects HOK, from underneath the wings of the falcon Credit: Timi Szoke
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is scheduled to open 26 August for a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals Credit: Mercedes Benz Stadium
RELATED STORIES
NFL chooses unbuilt Atlanta and LA stadiums for future Super Bowls


Two yet-to-be-built stadiums have been selected to host the National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl in 2019 and 2021.
Drone footage offers bird's eye view of HOK's hotly-anticipated Atlanta Falcons stadium


Dramatic drone footage of the ongoing construction of Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium has been released.
Atlanta Falcons’ new stadium to feature edible gardens


As part of plans to make its new stadium among the most eco-friendly in the world, the Atlanta Falcons have unveiled plans to surround the venue with edible gardens.
Atlanta Falcons reveals new images for unique stadium development


American football side the Atlanta Falcons has released a fly-through video of its new US$1.4bn (€1.2bn, £922m) stadium, set to open in downtown Atlanta in 2017.
MORE NEWS
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while remaining actively involved with the company.
Rainer Maelzer joins Therme Group as chief entertainment officer
Rainer Maelzer, an experiential entertainment innovator, has been appointed chief entertainment officer by Therme Group.
Movie Park Germany reveals new Paramount attraction as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK. 
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COMPANY PROFILES
Taylor Made Designs

Founded in 1993, Taylor Made Designs supply corporate clothing and brand-enhancing merchandise to [more...]
Painting With Light

By combining lighting, video, scenic and architectural elements, sound and special effects we tell s [more...]
IAAPA EMEA

IAAPA Expo Europe was established in 2006 and has grown to the largest international conference and [more...]
IDEATTACK

IDEATTACK is a full-service planning and design company with headquarters in Los Angeles. [more...]
+ More profiles  
FEATURED SUPPLIER

Iconic Liverpool attraction opens door to new operators
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its next phase. [more...]
CATALOGUE GALLERY
+ More catalogues  
DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

09-11 Jun 2026

World Sauna Forum 2026

Savutuvan Apaja, Haapaniemi, Finland
23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
+ More diary  
 


ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

Leisure Media
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026

ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
LEISURE MEDIA MAGAZINES
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