The Miami Dolphins’ stadium is reinvented with exclusive seats for boxes and VIP zones
Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, located in the Miami Gardens area, was renovated into a world-class stadium capable of housing everything from Miami Dolphins NFL games to large-scale concerts to events such as college league games.
Exclusive areas of the stadium were outfitted with customized Figueras VIP seating in the color of the host team.
The legendary Hard Rock Stadium (former Sun Life Stadium) was modernized by the architectural studio HOK to become a premier multipurpose stadium in 2016. The renovation of the stadium, which costed around $350M, hosts the Miami Dolphins, the University of Miami football team, and the Orange Bowl; and it can host events such as the Super Bowl, college championships, international soccer matches or large-scale concerts.
The refurbishment, executed in 3 phases, included improvements to provide a higher quality spectator and user experience. Also, the dining areas and the various private clubs were fully remodeled. In 2016 the infrastructure added a cantilevered roof that allows 92% of the seating capacity to be sheltered from the rain and sun.
With this remodeling, the architects sacrificed more than 10,000 seats, but gained in the quality of the spectator experience, improving aspects as important as the visibility of the pitch or the comfort of the users, essential aspects in a first class stadium. The project architects wanted the VIP areas of the stadium, located around the Founder’s Suites at the South Gate and at the edge of the pitch at the West and East Gates, to be equipped with the best seats on the market. Thanks to the exclusive areas, Hard Rock Stadium is able to offer VIP members a unique opportunity, which makes the reduction in seating profitable. The challenge, therefore, was to select the Figueras models that would best suit this unique project, as well as the customized adaptation to each zone.
Essentially, there are two Figueras models in the VIP areas of the Hard Rock Stadium: the largest and most comfortable Figueras seat, the Hollywood 5400 model, was installed at the foot of the field, in VIP boxes of the exclusive The 72 Club, in the so-called Living Room Boxes. In these private spaces, the Hollywood seats offer the greatest comfort thanks to their ample proportions, button panel for reclining the backrest and imitation leather finishes. As these are outdoor seating, the upholstery - in the same light blue color as the host team - is weather and sun resistant. There are 112 seats in these boxes, 56 in each of the end zones. The remaining Hollywood seats, 136 in total, are located in the exclusive area around the Founders Club in the South Club.
In the VIP area of the South Gate, 600 Smart seats, upholstered in light blue vinyl, were installed. This is a special model, created from the Smart seat but with some special modifications to adapt to this very specific area. For example, they had to be adapted to have a foot that could be anchored to the riser in the stands, and the size of the armrest was reduced to offer comfort without losing capacity. The most reserved area, the Founders Suites’, was equipped with the Smart 13030 model for the 72 main seats in this area. It is a model of ample proportions and beautiful design, which on this occasion is fixed to the floor. Six of the seats are removable.
