Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) announced that it received a 2022 Best of Design Awards Editors’ Pick from The Architect’s Newspaper for the SoFi Stadium project in Inglewood, California, which features Starphire® low-iron glass from Vitro.
SoFi Stadium was chosen as the Editors’ Pick in the Commercial—Sports & Entertainment category. Since opening in September 2020, the 70,240-seat stadium has served as the home of both the National Football League’s Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, as well as college football’s annual LA Bowl. Its design consists of the stadium itself, the American Airlines Plaza for pedestrian traffic and a multi-purpose performance venue named the YouTube Theater.
“2022 was a bumper crop year: AN received more than double the number of submissions than in typical previous iterations of this program,” wrote the editorial team of The Architect’s Newspaper in its awards announcement. “As a result, our jury found it extra challenging to select only one winner and one honourable mention from each category, leading us to make good use of our honourable mentions and editors’ picks as a repository of strong contenders. As such, those commendations are recognized in separate listings.”
In February 2022, more than 70,000 football fans packed inside SoFi Stadium to attend Super Bowl LVI, the first in-person National Football League championship game open to the public since 2020. Inside, attendees enjoyed brilliantly clear views of the field from virtually everywhere thanks to doors, railings and partitions made of Starphire Ultra-Clear® low-iron glass by Vitro.
Starphire® glass contains 87 percent less green than conventional clear glass and transmits up to 91 percent of available visible light, delivering uncompromised visual impact and true-to-life views that are much clearer than “clear” glass. Starphire® glass also maintains its signature azure blue edge no matter the thickness and evokes a sense of luxury and sophistication with the premium seating partitions located throughout the stadium.
SoFi Stadium was designed by HKS, Inc., an international architectural firm with offices in Los Angeles. Starphire® glass used in the project was fabricated by Glasswerks LA Inc. The glazing contractor was Harris Glass Company.