A new high tech Louis Armstrong Court at US Open
Looks like the USTA took a lot more that tennis into account when designing and building the new Louis Armstrong Court at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Debuting at the 2018 US Open, the opening of the new Louis Armstrong will mark the completion of the 5-year Strategic Transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The 14,000 seat stadium, designed by ROSSETTI, will operate as the second stadium court at the US Open, as well as mark the second stadium court on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to feature a retractable roof. The innovative design of the stadium encourages air flow and will be the first naturally ventilated tennis stadium in the world with a retractable roof, eliminating the need for an air conditioning or processing system in the structure.
This was accomplished through intensive studies and modeling, to gain an understanding of weather patterns, wind direction and rainfall. The perforated seating bowl allows air to pass though underground pathways, while the concourse levels are opened throughout the entirety of the stadium to maximize air flow for all spectator areas.
The facades of the new Louis Armstrong Stadium will be covered with 14,250 overlapping terra cotta louvers, positioned to battle the elements, yet porous enough to foster the natural ventilation process. The material was also chosen to coincide with the traditional brick structures throughout the other portions of the NTC.
More than half of the 14,000 seats in Louis Armstrong will be General Admission, open to all fans on a first-come, first-serve basis. The remaining seats will be reserved for those with a Louis Armstrong Stadium ticket for the respective session.
This year, for the first time, there will be both a day and night session in Louis Armstrong Stadium. The day session will begin at 11:00 a.m. for the first nine days of the tournament and will include three matches, with the night session beginning at 7:00 p.m. and showcasing two matches for the first six days of the event. With the ability to use the retractable roof, the added sessions will lead to a larger number of matches played on schedule, regardless of weather conditions.
The new Louis Armstrong Stadium will feature:
• Two entranceways, each featuring a grand staircase, escalator and elevator, giving ticket holders access to both the lower and upper concourses • Storefronts featuring US Open Collection, Polo Ralph Lauren, Adidas and Wilson, anchoring the ground floor and accessible from outside the stadium • Viewing areas on the lower concourse, giving patrons the ability to both enjoy the match inside, as well as take in the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center • A variety of food, beverage and merchandise concessions on both the lower and upper concourses.
Extra: New Louis Armstrong Court by the numbers...
