British exhibition and interior designers Mather & Co will venture into the US market for the first time after winning a competitive tender to develop a new visitor attraction and stadium tour experience at California’s world famous Rose Bowl Stadium.
The 92,500-capacity facility, designed by American architect Myron Hubbard Hunt and located in Pasadena, is a National Historic Landmark and the country’s 12th largest stadium. Since its construction in 1922 it has hosted five Super Bowl games, FIFA World Cup finals, Olympic events, the annual American college football Rose Bowl Game and a host of cultural celebrations, including high-profile Fourth of July celebrations.
It is also an iconic concert venue, which has been played by everyone from Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones to U2 and One Direction.
Mather & Co – who have previously designed sporting exhibitions for
the UK’s National Horseracing Museum, the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and an Olympic Museum in Switzerland – have pledged to “help realise the unique assets of the stadium and the surrounding area to create a first class visitor attraction.”
The studio – which fought off competition from several US practices to win the tender – will be working with attraction consulting firm Grant Leisure, which is conducting an economic feasibility study for the project.
“Mather & Co. has an incredibly impressive international portfolio that has made them a real standout in this industry,” said Rose Bowl Stadium executive director Dedan Brozino. “Their past projects fall in line with our venue’s historical significance and we feel that their concept will capture the spirit of the Rose Bowl and help in the development of the stadium and its legacy.”
Mather & Co managing director Chris Mather said: “This is a major milestone in the expansion of our prominence and visibility on the world stage. We hope that this is the first step towards more interesting and notable projects in the USA.”
The Rose Bowl Stadium has recently completed a four-year US$164.5m (€147m, £113.8m) renovation programme adding additional entrance gates; upgrading the concourse; and installing 10 LED panels, a new video board, 10 clocks and an updated sound system. A new Terry Donahue Pavilion has also been constructed and houses 54 Luxury Suites, 1,200 club seats and a new broadcast centre.
