The World’s Finest Theater for Track & Field

 

I joined a group of fellow AIA Oregon members last week for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of the “renovated” Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus. It was my first opportunity to see it from within. While the exterior is certainly striking, I found the inside peek of the new facilities to be even more impressive and jaw-dropping. I have no doubt the lavish and commodious design further cements Eugene’s status as the Mecca for track & field in the United States.
 
Plenty of media outlets—among them Architect magazine, Metropolis, Athletics Weekly, and Athletic Business have already hailed Hayward Field’s rejuvenation as a world-class venue. Additionally, both the SRG Partnership and Hoffman Construction—the lead members of the project’s design-build team—provide excellent insights to its design and construction on their respective websites. There’s little reason for me to duplicate others’ accounting of the stadium’s unique and groundbreaking design features. Instead, I will focus on my own observations.
 

Hayward Field at the University of Oregon (all photos by me except as noted).

 
This Sucker is Huge
The new Hayward Field is obviously big. It dominates its immediate surroundings. Its scaleless exterior is not entirely sympathetic to the neighboring buildings it crowds. I previously commented on the design’s elephantine proportions and questioned whether the break from its past form would be too abrupt; however, now that it is complete, I am reconsidering my initial assessment. A city needs its landmarks. The physical dominance of the curving ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) clad shell that wraps the stadium, and the nine-story Bowerman Tower—which provides the design with a needed vertical counterpoint—are instantly recognizable. The new Hayward Field is without a doubt a landmark you cannot help but notice.
 

Detail view of the roof.

Inside, I found the stadium bowl, while necessarily large, to feel remarkably intimate. This is in part due to the proximity of the spectator seating to the athletes, but also attributable to the sense of enclosure afforded by the continuous geometry of the seating and overhanging roof (more on this in a bit). Previously, the combination of the old east grandstand, west grandstand, and the Bowerman Building presented nothing approaching a unified architectural experience. Consequently, the old Hayward Field never felt whole or complete. The new stadium is architecturally consistent and at once both grand and cozy.

 

Asymmetry
I am not sure why I had not noticed how pronounced the asymmetry of the stadium’s wrap-around ETFE shell is until I attended the tour. The smoothly formed lopsidedness is related to the layout of the seating, which maximizes the number of people sitting near the start and finish line at the southwest corner of the track. Likewise, the rhythmic wood bents grow to support the form of the roof as it swells toward the southwest corner of the stadium. The asymmetry adds a dynamism to the overall form that suggests the speed, strength, and motion of the showcased athletes.
 

(University of Oregon press kit image)

Comfort
The level of comfort and amenities spectators can enjoy at the new Hayward Field are light-years removed from the old facilities. The sightlines from anywhere in the stadium are unobstructed. You no longer risk inflicting your bottom to splinters, as was a distinct possibility when seated on the wood benches of the former east grandstand. Every seat in the house is now fully padded and a generous 22-inches wide. I was impressed by how comfortable the chair I tried sitting in was. Fantastic.
 

Hayward Field seating (University of Oregon press kit image).

As is now the norm in sports venues, the new Hayward Field incorporates LED video boards to display live action, replays, and statistics. Upon completion of the “renovation” in 2020, the stadium featured two small (by today’s standards) trapezoidal boards, one each at the southeast and northwest corners. Currently being installed at the north end of the field is a significantly larger “Visual Experience Board,” which will be sixty feet tall and 160 feet long and provide 5,080 square feet of screen area. Like the asymmetric form of the bowl, the new board’s swooping shape is meant to convey speed and fluidity. Together, the three video boards will greatly enhance the spectator experience.

The Visual Experience Board and the Bowerman Tower.

 
Certainly, a distinct improvement over the old Hayward Field is the provision of full accessibility for mobility-impaired persons, generous restroom facilities, an assortment of food concessions (including the ability to accommodate food trucks and carts), and the incorporation of Hayward Hall, an informative and entertaining 8,600 SF museum commemorating the many memorable, historic, and record-breaking moments at Hayward Field.
 

Hayward Hall

Exhibit in Hayward Hall

Display with Bill Bowerman's infamous waffle iron.

Hayward Hall theater. The seats are salvaged examples from the old Hayward Field. 

On the negative side of the ledger, the signature roof only provides nominal cover from rain, wind, and sun for some and nowhere near all. Those seated on the east side of the track are particularly vulnerable to glare and heat from the late afternoon sun. Spectators who braved last summer’s US Olympic trials during the hottest week ever in Eugene undoubtedly avoided sitting under the direct sun if possible. Could SRG have shaped the design of the roof to provide greater protection? Perhaps, but doing so may have detracted from the coherence of its form.
 

Extending the Brand
If I were a star high school track & field athlete, why would I not want to compete as a University of Oregon Duck? The level of amenities dedicated to training and recovery are second-to-none among collegiate facilities. The new Hayward Field provides everything student athletes need to realize their full potential, most notably indoor practice areas, which include a six-lane, 140-meter straightaway running track and the “Vault,” a two-story interior space for long jump, triple jump, throws, and pole vault training.

The indoor, six-lane, 140-meter running track

 

The Vault.

Custom-designed exit sign.

Nike has its mark all over the new Hayward Field. Like the earlier Matthew Knight Arena, Jane Sanders Stadium, and Hatfield Dowlin Complex projects, the overall vibe is one of brand positioning. The message is “Oregon is built different.” This consistently conveyed message appeals to the emotions of the student athletes and their aspirations to greatness. The design achieves this by incorporating recognizably Oregon-brand elements at all scales.
 
Of course, historic Hayward Field figures large in Eugene’s deserved reputation as “Track Town USA.” The new building honors its history in numerous ways. These include the aforementioned Hayward Hall. They also include inspirational, integrated graphics, such as original sketches and notes from the legendary coach Bill Bowerman etched into the metal mesh that wraps the underside of the seating bowl. Images of Oregon icons Steve Prefontaine, Ashton Eaton, and Raevyn Rogers adorn the Bowerman Tower; likewise, the backside of the Visual Experience Board will feature the likeness of the stadium’s namesake, Bill Hayward.
 

West concourse. Note the greatly enlarged images of Bill Bowerman's sketches and notes on the underside of the upper seating bowl above.

The University of Oregon (and more specifically Phil Knight and Nike) founded the Oregon athletics brand on newness and state-of-the-art innovation. How will Hayward Field (and Oregon’s other sports venues) evolve as time passes? Will they age gracefully? Oregon has been the beneficiary of a wealthy donor’s generosity during an era of collegiate athletics unbounded by fiscal considerations. That level of generosity is not assured in the future. The new Hayward Field may be presaging a shift in that branding, from one focused on flash and newness, to one emphasizing history and tradition.

Statue of Bill Bowerman and the Bowerman Tower.

 
Upholding a Legacy
Hayward Field’s storied past is unparalleled, and yet the best may be yet to come. It will be the site of this year’s NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships (as well as consecutively from 2024 through 2027, with only 2023’s event occurring elsewhere), the 2022 USATF Outdoor Championship, and the 2022 World Athletics Championships (the first time ever on U.S. soil), and the 2024 US Olympic Team trials. Additionally, the facility remains the home of the annual Nike Prefontaine Classic, one of the Diamond League’s series of elite track & field events.
 
I look forward to soon attending a meet. I buy the hype: The new Hayward Field truly is the finest theater for track & field in the world.