RFK National Stadium – design description

What does the RFK National Stadium project look like in a nutshell?

The RFK National Stadium concept was born out of the desire of the NFL team, the Washington Commanders, to build a new stadium. However, the architects wanted to offer more than just a facility dedicated to one team, and designed a venue that Americans could proudly call a national stadium.

The new RFK National Stadium would stand on the site of the now-defunct RFK Stadium, within the boundaries of the federal district, not far from such symbols as the Capitol, the Washington Monument and the White House.

The plan created by KATO Design is very ambitious: the facility is to be fully covered, and a transparent dome will give it a unique, original shape. Instead of steel, wood will be used as a structural element, which is expected to reduce the carbon footprint and make the arena the largest “wooden” stadium of its kind in the world.

The stadium will be multifunctional, as evidenced, for example, by the ability to fold down the lowest sections of the stands to make room for an athletics track. There will also be large windows in the endzones, already familiar from other modern stadiums in the NFL.

The concept, although done professionally, has the character of a loose proposal, a prelude to discussions on the shape of the future Washington Commanders stadium. The vision also brings the debate over a possible US national stadium to a whole new level.

Why do the Washington Commanders need a new stadium?

The NFL team Washington Commanders (for a long time, until 2019, known as the Washington Redskins), since 1997, has played at the then newly built Northwest Stadium (for years called FedEx Field). The stadium is located in Landover, Maryland, in the eastern suburbs of Washington, DC.

Northwest Stadium was for a time even the largest in the NFL, but a series of downsizing caused its capacity to drop to over 60,000 spectators, making it now one of the smallest in the league.

Although still relatively new, the stadium has increasingly fallen behind the competition, and a series of flaws and image slip-ups have resulted in it now being considered one of the worst in the NFL. The stadium's lease expires in 2027, so there has long been discussion about where the Commanders will play in the future.

Even if the Commanders remain in their current stadium in Landover after 2027, in the long run the team is more likely to seek to leave the facility.

What were the previous ideas for a new stadium for the Washington Commanders?

By the time the RFK National Stadium project was conceived, the debate over a new stadium had been going on for nearly a decade – the first concrete proposals emerged in 2016.

It's worth noting a specific aspect of the debate: the Washington metropolitan area, in addition to the federal district, is also located within the borders of two neighboring states, Virginia and Maryland, and each of these territories has a vested interest in hosting an NFL team, which is a source of additional bargaining and proposals for relocation.

What were the proposals to keep the Washington Commanders in the state of Maryland?

In 2016, a design was unveiled for a new stadium that would stand in Oxon Hill, Maryland (near the federal district border). The plan had an unusual feature: the stadium was to be surrounded by a moat, which would be used in the summer by... surfers.

Were Washington Commanders allowed to move to Virginia?

Relocation to the neighboring state of Virginia was also under consideration. In 2022, news emerged of the Commanders purchasing a site in Woodbridge, 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Washington, and renderings of a fully-covered stadium were produced.

Will the Washington Commanders return to the federal district?

One possible option was to return to RFK Stadium (or rather, build a new stadium in its place), where the Commanders (Redskins) played before moving to Landover, from 1961 to 1996, winning the Super Bowl three times during that period (1983, 1988 and 1992). It is the Commanders' preferred location for many reasons.

How does RFK Stadium perform?

RFK Stadium is located in the eastern part of Washington, D.C., on an artery leading in a straight line toward the Capitol, 2 miles (3 km) away, and is aligned in one axis with the Washington Monument or Lincoln Mausoleum. Next to the stadium is Lake Kingman and the Anacostia River.

The stadium was built in 1960–1961 and has a hybrid form, allowing both football and baseball games. Over the years, the facility has hosted not only the Commanders, but also other major Washington sports teams, as well as a number of variety events, including 1994 World Cup games and concerts by music stars.

As of 2019, the aging stadium remains unused, and in late 2022 and early 2023, demolition of some of its elements began, but for the time being without disrupting the main structure of the building. However, the stadium will most likely be completely demolished, which was once again announced in January 2025.

What steps have been taken to allow Commanders to return to the federal district?

In April 2016, Events DC (the entity that manages the stadium) unveiled a preliminary plan to build a new facility to replace RFK Stadium, in response to a stadium project in Oxon Hill, Maryland, presented the previous month.

In 2017, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser requested a transfer of control of the land on which the stadium is located to the city (the land is federally owned). The acquisition of the stadium was to allow the city to make investments in the area, including the construction of a new stadium.

The transfer of the land required the approval of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which were not granted until 2024. On January 6, 2025, outgoing President Joe Biden, in one of his last decisions, signed the bill, ending a long legislative process. According to the decisions made, the 174 acres of land where RFK Stadium is located will be given to the federal district on a 99-year lease.

What vision for the future does the new owner of Washington Commanders have?

In the meantime, there has been one rather significant change: in July 2023, the Washington Commanders were purchased from their previous owner, Dan Snyder, by a group led by investor Josh Harris. The deal was made for $6.05 billion, making it the most expensive purchase of a sports team in history.

Josh Harris is a proponent of building a new facility to replace RFK Stadium (although he also considered other locations). In July 2024, he stated that a reasonable goal would be to inaugurate a new stadium before the start of the 2030 season.

When was the RFK National Stadium project presented?

In the second half of January 2025, KATO Design released a concept for the new stadium that would be built to replace RFK Stadium. Renderings were also soon widely circulated in the media.

KATO Design is a small, inexperienced studio, but its founder and chief architect, Kyle Murphy, had previously worked on the U.S. Bank Stadium project, one of the most architecturally interesting stadiums to be built in the past decade in the United States and around the world.

The concept, as the creators ensure, was developed independently, without cooperation with Commanders or local authorities, and was presented as a proposal for further discussion.

What does the RFK National Stadium project entail?

KATO Design has proposed a very interesting concept for a multi-purpose stadium, equipped with a full covering of the stands and the field. The design is distinguished by the use of wood instead of steel as a structural material, which will make it the largest such “wooden” stadium in the world and significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the structure.

The roof will be covered with transparent panels, and the uniquely shaped dome will give the building an original form, unprecedented for stadium structures. Not only the roof, but also the two side façades will be glazed.

The multi-level stands, thanks to mobile segments in the lower part, will be adaptable: as standard, they will be adjusted to the size of a football and soccer field, but when they are folded, additional space will be created for an athletics track, similar to what exists at the Stade de France. The stadium will also be able to host basketball games, boxing galas or music concerts.

The stands, divided into several levels, are to be lower behind the endzones, giving way to two large “windows” through which at least some spectators will be able to observe the surroundings. Particularly interesting is to be the view through the western window, through which it will be possible to see the Capitol and the Washington Monument. The capacity of the stadium is likely to be around 70,000 spectators.

What will be built around RFK National Stadium?

The new stadium is to be built on the exact site of the old RFK Stadium, but the plan also calls for the use of the parking lots next to the stadium, which are intended to be used for new construction projects: apartments (a total of 2,000 residential units), stores and restaurants, a hotel or new multi-level parking lots.

The whole development is to be enhanced with squares, small architecture and an attractive formation of the Kingman Lake waterfront, with the creation of a recreational path running partly through the reservoir.

What role will the RFK National Stadium play?

The driving force behind the development is the need to build a new venue for the Washington Commanders, but the project goes beyond the scope of a facility developed for a single team or even a representative stadium designed for an entire metropolitan area.

The location in the nation's capital, not far from such symbols as the Capitol, the Washington Monument and the White House, provides a unique opportunity to create something that has never been built in the United States before – a national stadium.

Hence the unique monumental style and multi-purpose character, with the possibility of adapting it for football, athletics or cultural events. The new stadium could become what Wembley is to England or Estadio Azteca is to Mexico.

How much might it cost to build RFK National Stadium?

No cost has been given, but it is estimated that it will be a very expensive investment, costing a minimum of $2 billion, and possibly twice that amount. Funding will most likely have to come in part from public funds, which may meet opposition. Some of the funds for construction should also be found by earmarking existing parking lots for investment.

What are the chances of the RFK National Stadium being built?

Given that the RFK National Stadium project was prepared without consulting Commanders, one should be very cautious about the possibility of its implementation.

On the other hand, Commanders have been trying on the construction of a new facility for a long time, and recent decisions by the authorities have helped move closer to this goal. The concept for a new stadium to replace RFK Stadium would be something that would probably be worked on in the near future anyway.

However, the project prepared by KATO Design is very ambitious, and even if Commanders and the local authorities find it suitable, a number of issues would remain to be resolved, including the most important one: finalizing the budget.

The advantage of the concept is its professional craftsmanship. If the vision is ultimately not adopted for implementation, it can still be viewed as a valuable contribution to the discussion of a new stadium for the Washington Commanders.