One of the world’s most famous stadiums could be (re) built in wood with the audacious design pitched by a small studio, KaTO Architecture, which has joined a growing chorus of fans, politicians, and NFL officials pushing for the Washington Commanders, one of North America’s largest and most successful franchises, to move back into a new mass timber-constructed RFK Stadium – just two miles from the Capitol Building.
Speaking to the Fox Network, Kyle Murphy, the project’s lead architect, said that while the team and city did not engage the studio, RFK’s prime location—next to the National Mall—meant the stadium must think big: “We decided to throw out a wild card and see where it goes,” Murphy said. We’ve been trying to pitch this as something that could be about national pride beyond just the value to a specific team or city.”
“We don’t have a dedicated national venue here, and that would be the ideal place to do that – when you think about Wembley Stadium in England, Mexico has Estadio Azteca.”
Kyle Murphy, the project’s lead architect on the potential for RFK Stadium to become the United States national venue.
The spiritual home of the former Redskins, Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium was one of North America’s first (and largest) multi-purpose stadiums, hosting NFL (including a record five NFC Championship games), baseball, football, Olympic events, World Cup fixtures and music events.
Located on Federal land, Joe Biden—in one of his final acts as president—earlier this month signed a bill extending the lease of RFK Stadium for 99 years, giving the Commanders an option to return to their former 1961-1996 home after their lease at Northwest Stadium expires in 2027. According to Josh Harris, the current Commander’s owner, the franchise could move back to RFK Stadium by 2030, with Muriel Bowser, DC’s mayor, confident a relocation could happen sooner.
“I just think if we’re able to do what we think we could do in DC, I think it’ll take 2 years to construct it,” Mayor Bowser told local media in December. “And then there are other things, entitlements and all of the things, that have to get done in our conversations with the community. All of those things have to happen first, but I think they could probably build it in two years, maybe two and a half years.”
Wood Central understands that the project (if constructed) would be the world’s largest (rectangular) stadium built out of mass timber, and comes months after the Tasmanian-based Macquarie Point, which, once constructed, will become the world’s largest timber-roofed oval stadium.
