The new, 22,000-seat Banc of California Stadium has opened to the public. Located in Los Angeles, the Gensler-designed stadium will host Major League Soccer games and be the home of the Los Angeles Football Club. It’s the former site of the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, and represents the first open-air professional stadium built in Los Angeles since 1962. Amenities include restaurants, retail stores, a museum and a conference center. In all, Banc of California Stadium is aimed at helping to revitalize Los Angeles’ Exposition Park.
The privately funded, $350 million Banc of California Stadium is the most expensive MLS facility in league history. PCL Construction served as the general contractor on the project, and C.R. Laurence (CRL) manufactured and supplied custom all-glass entrances, glass railings and bullet-resistant transaction systems to enhance the aesthetics and function of the stadium. Helou Construction installed the glazing systems.
CRL’s DRS door rails and Blumcraft panic handles were installed throughout the stadium, including VIP entrances and suites. DRS door rails feature patented Wedge-Lock technology that offers glass holding power and a faster installation time. The accompanying Blumcraft panic handles further enhance the all-glass visuals using a slim and elegant tubular design. They’re UL classified to ANSI/BHMA A156.3-2001 Grade 1, making them ideal for high-traffic applications such as sports stadiums. Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope® supplied the glass for the entrances.
Select areas of the stadium incorporate CRL’s GRS Taper-Loc glass railing system. The railing system offers the first and only ICC-ES approved base shoe for glass railings. It’s also engineered to comply with 2015 IBC updates. CRL’s HRS Hand Rails were installed with LED lighting for improved visibility and aesthetic appeal.
Banc of California Stadium’s ticketing areas feature bullet-resistant transaction windows and Speak-Thrus from CRL. The integrated stainless steel counters and bullet-resistant deal trays are also by CRL. Together, the systems provide a high level of security and protection, while allowing fast and easy communication with event attendees. The bullet-resistant glass—supplied by California Glass Bending—features a gray tint that reduces solar energy transmission.
The stadium faced an aggressive construction timeframe yet managed to open weeks ahead of schedule and in time for the MLS 2018 season.
“A stadium project of this size presented challenging schedules that required precise coordination between the architect, contractors, and manufacturers,” said Chris Hanstad, vice president of architectural sales at CRL. “We had the comprehensive product line and manufacturing capacity to provide a large scope of the customized glazing solutions needed to not only meet the project’s schedule, but its code requirements and design intent as well.”
Banc of California Stadium is designed to achieve LEED Silver certification.