North Carolina FC Stadium – design description

Created by renowned architectural practice Gensler, the concept was first presented in 2017 and was to be situated in northern downtown of Raleigh. However, the plan fell through and that very same, although somewhat altered, vision returned in 2019 in a new setting, beside the city's southern highway bypass.

This time the capacity is suggested to be cut from 25,000 to 20,000 seats. What is unchanged is the idea of the stadium hosting both North Carolina FC and women's club North Carolina Courage, along with a long list of other events.

Along the initial stadium concept, it would have a simple, nearly rectangular basis with anciliary facilities and room for retail and other uses. Above it an impressive crown-like roof would sit, partly transparent to illuminate from the inside when events are held. The seating layout would see a single tier in the west and as many as three levels of seating on other sides.

In the second iteration it's not all about the stadium, rather about a major office cluster it would form. Called Downtown South, it would become the southern gate to Raleigh. The area of 22 hectares would see high-rise buildings comprising 150,000 m² of office space, 1,200 hotel rooms, 1,750 housing units and some 12,000 m² of retail.