SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, has become a benchmark for technology-led sports architecture since opening in 2020. Designed by architecture studio HKS, the venue combines large-scale digital infrastructure with climate-responsive engineering, establishing a new model for contemporary stadium design while serving as one of the headline venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 300-acre Hollywood Park development includes the 3.1-million-square-foot (approximately 288,000-square-meter) stadium, a theatre, and a public plaza. Primarily built for the NFL, the venue is home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. It has also hosted Super Bowl LVI, the College Football National Championship, and FIFA World Cup matches, while it is scheduled to stage the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2028 Olympic Games.
Architecture combines environmental performance with digital innovation
Designed with capacity for approximately 70,000 spectators, expandable to 100,000, SoFi Stadium includes 260 luxury suites, 13,000 premium seats, multiple hospitality clubs, and seven suite experiences. At a reported construction cost of $5.5 billion, it remains the world’s most expensive stadium.
“First and foremost, we wanted to create an environment that immersed people into technology,” HKS partner and executive vice president Mark A Williams.
“We knew this site, in the entertainment capital of the world, was going to be more than a place to watch football, so we created a global stage early on.”
Above the venue, a sweeping ETFE roof shelters the stadium, the 2.5-acre American Airlines Plaza, and the 6,000-seat YouTube Theater. The transparent canopy rests on blade-like columns and combines a structural steel shell, compression ring, and one of the world’s largest cable-net roof systems.
Moreover, the roof integrates 309 ETFE panels that provide the strength of glass at a fraction of the weight. Designers also incorporated 46 operable roof panels and additional side openings that encourage natural ventilation, reducing interior temperatures despite the open-air configuration.
“We tuned the building based on 100-year historical climate data from LAX and Hawthorne airports that we analyzed and used to shape the building,” Williams explained, noting that the upper seating bowl of the stadium has sensors that read the temperature and humidity inside the building.
“With the incredible climate that Southern California offers, you can feel the ocean breezes go across your face when you’re in the seating bowl.”
Meanwhile, the roof doubles as a digital display. Because the stadium sits close to the Los Angeles International Airport, integrated video technology allows the canopy to broadcast live content visible to arriving and departing passengers.
Infinity Screen and connected visitor experience define the venue
Inside the stadium, Samsung’s Infinity Screen remains one of its defining architectural features. Suspended beneath the roof canopy, the dual-sided, center-hung LED display spans 70,000 square feet (6,500 square meters), making it one of the largest videoboards ever installed in a sports venue.
The oval-shaped display contains approximately 80 million pixels and more than 260 integrated speakers. Additionally, digital ribbon boards encircle the seating bowl, delivering live statistics, graphics, and event content throughout the venue.
“We thought a lot about how individuals consume entertainment, data and information,” Williams said, explaining that the team wanted to incorporate how visitors function daily, using multiple devices feeding a constant stream of content, into the design of the building.
“Nothing beats live entertainment, but we wanted to augment the experience with other data to broaden and heighten that from day one.”
Technology also shapes the visitor journey beyond the seating bowl. Guests use a dedicated mobile application for digital ticketing, parking access, and navigation. Furthermore, AI-assisted security screening accelerates entry, while mobile ordering and contactless collection streamline food, beverage, and merchandise purchases.
“You are never disconnected from the global stage,” Williams said, noting that the process of attending an event has been elevated with more efficient flows.
“SoFi Stadium shows how a building can have personality,” he said. “[The building] becomes its own identity and it augments the experience you have.”