The Baltimore Ravens made the most of their NFL debut by winning their first game against the Oakland Raiders on September 1, 1996, at Memorial Stadium, an historic sports center located on 33rd Street. Rebuilt in 1954 with only enough capacity to seat 60,000 Ravens ticket holders, Memorial Stadium was considered to have a seating capacity that was inadequate for the NFL, so construction of a new stadium began one year later immediately adjacent to it.
Designed by the world-famous architectural firm of HOK Sports (now known as Populous), it was one of the first to make a departure from the traditional bowl-shape. The distinctive upper concourse has V-shaped notches which divides it into four sections, having the effect of eliminating the unpopular corner seats. It also gives spectacular views of the city, which are particularly impressive at night. The Ravens have nicknamed the V-shaped openings as their “victory notches”.
The open-air stadium has a seating capacity of 71,008 seats arranged on three levels. There are 128 luxury suites and 8,196 club seats. The regular seats are covered in purple, with the club seats having a matching silver color. Two massive Smartvision video boards are in both end zones at the club level, making them closer and easier to view for most spectators.
The Ravens had their home opener at the newly constructed Ravens Stadium at Camden Yards on September 6, 1998, against the Pittsburg Steelers. The final construction cost was U.S. $220 million (U.S. $290 million in 2011 dollars) for the high-tech sports complex. It was briefly known as the PSINet Stadium when the internet company acquired the naming rights, but it reverted back to Raven Stadium in 2002 when PSINet had to file for bandruptcy. In 2003, M & T Bank acquired the naming rights, and it has been known as M & T Stadium ever since.
The architects made a concerted effort to try to blend the modern stadium in with the historic roots in the city. At eye level, they constructed the stadium with more than one million bricks that is in keeping with the character of the surrounding buildings. Along with the brick, the stadium has exposed steel, reinforced concrete and mega glass surfaces. The mix of the old and the new styles conveys the image of a throw-back to Baltimore’s historical roots combined with a step into the future.
The stadium has 42 entry points surrounded by parking for more than 2,000 cars at surface level M & T Stadium was originally constructed with natural grass. It was converted to Field Turf in 2010, after going through a trial period of using Sportexe Momentum Turf for six years. The Video Boards were also upgraded in 2010 with a cost of $6 million.
With state-of-the-art engineering located in the heart of the city, the Baltimore Ravens stadium is one of the exemplary designs that architects try to emulate for newer NFL stadiums. Combined with Memorial Stadium next door, the sports complex is a major destination point in the city of Baltimore.
