When the Oakland Athletics released renderings of their proposed new Las Vegas ballpark earlier this week, many MLB fans shared the same reaction: It looks a lot like the Sydney Opera House.
On the surface, the similarity is undeniable. Like the famed Australian venue, the proposed A’s stadium boasts a “spherical armadillo” structure featuring a roof made up of overlapping layers, which is intended to provide shade while letting in natural light.
Architect Bjarke Ingels, who worked with HNTB Corp. to design the ballpark, addressed the stadium’s comparisons to the Sydney Opera House and called the feedback complimentary.
“I’ve seen [the comparisons]. I can see the point. I’ll definitely take it as a compliment,” Ingels told The Athletic in a story posted Wednesday. “I think it’s one of the most beautiful buildings on Earth. And I think in all fairness, this is a very different building. It’s a circle in floorplan. It’s essentially a dome. But it is true that the way that the ribbons arch and nest could evoke some thoughts to a distant Australian cousin.”
Ingels insisted he wasn’t trying to mimic the Sydney landmark while drawing up the ballpark plans.
“I mean, it’s not like we tried to make it look like an armadillo,” Ingels told The Athletic. “We tried to factor in some of the main qualities and some of the main challenges of the site. … We were trying to maximize the openness and the sense of being in Vegas on the Strip, the blue skies of the desert, while still protecting the audience and the players from being cooked on a 100-degree warm day.”
The new A’s ballpark, expected to open in 2028, is slated to be constructed at the site of the former Tropicana Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip with an estimated capacity of 33,000.
Oakland’s highly controversial relocation, spearheaded by owner John Fisher, will give Las Vegas its fourth major league sports franchise, joining the NHL’s Golden Knights, the WNBA’s Aces and the NFL’s Raiders. The team is set to leave the Oakland Coliseum after the 2024 season and has yet to secure a temporary home for the other three seasons before its new venue is ready.
