Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta

This brand new (2017) multi-purpose retractable roof stadium is located in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the home ground of the Atlanta United FC of the Major League Soccer (MLS) and Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). Both teams play on synthetic turf which has been installed instead of the originally planned natural one.

Bill Johnson, who was the stadium’s lead architect, ruled out natural grass for the retractable-roof stadium because the field wouldn’t get enough sunlight to grow the grass. Another reason mentioned by Stadium General Manager Scott Jenkins in his official announcement was the versatility which “is key for our turf surface, from how the ball rolls for soccer, to safety for football, to what the paint looks like on the field and how natural the grass appears.”

The synthetic turf was therefore installed on Mercedes-Benz Stadium which total cost was estimated at $1.6 billion. The venue can also serve for big concerts and events. Local soccer fans seem to enjoy their team playing on synthetic turf – on March 11, 2018, Atlanta United played an MLS regular season match versus D.C. United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in front of 72,035 spectators, setting the record for the largest crowd in MLS history.