The New England Patriots have released new renderings of their $250 million stadium renovations and additions. Gillette Stadium was designed by Populous and opened in Foxborough, Massachusetts in 2002. The stadium cost $325 million when it was built, and it is the only NFL stadium that was fully-funded through private sources. Since then, it has seen a series of renovations, with the most recent one focusing on an enormous screen, new lighthouse (that oversees a parking lot rather than the ocean), and improved concourses. The stadium is also the home field for the Major League Soccer team New England Revolution.
Work began in January 2022, led by Suffolk Construction, and included the demolition of the stadium’s iconic lighthouse. The original lighthouse was built next to a bridge, both a reference to New England imagery. Seafarers need not worry as the renovations include a new, 22-story lighthouse that includes a 360-degree observation deck that will operate year-round, not just on game day. The team said that visitors will be able to view both the Boston and Providence skylines from the maritime-inspired structure. A revamped Enel Plaza, the stadium’s main entrance on its north end, will include an expanded grand staircase adjacent to the lighthouse.
A fresh look in Foxborough.
Go behind-the-scenes as @GilletteStadium continues renovations on the lighthouse, the largest outdoor stadium videoboard in the country, new hospitality and concession locations and more ahead of the 2023 New England Patriots regular season. pic.twitter.com/2LiOru4Ccb
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) July 11, 2023
Inside the stadium, the largest outdoor stadium video board in the country, according to the team, is well underway in its installation. Measuring 370 feet by 60 feet, the curved screen is more than five times as large as its predecessor .
Jim Nolan, Chief Operating Officer of Kraft Sports + Entertainment, which oversees events management for Gillette Stadium, the Patriots, and the Revolution, said that “Throughout the planning of this project, we worked hard to positively impact every guest that comes to Gillette Stadium. From arrival to departure and through 360-degree access around the building, new food and beverage locations and menu offerings, premium spaces, the curved-radius video board and more, the fan journey has been enhanced.”
Additional improvements include the full connection of all concourse levels around the stadium—some levels previously only wrapped part of the stadium. A new fan space covering a 2,000-square-foot patio and 4,000-square-foot interior space, the Bud Light Celebration Beer Hall, will give fans a field-level view of players as they proceed from a tunnel into the stadium.
Above Enel Plaza, the new G-P Atrium hosts a 50,000-square-foot, year-round hospitality space that fills a prior gap between suite spaces. Wrapped in glass and including a two-tier balcony, the Atrium will sit below the video board when opened. For all fans, improved lower concourse amenities include eateries in which fans can swipe their credit card upon entry and automatically be charged when they exit (this already exists in places like the Barclays Center), self-pouring beer kiosks, and additional bars and restrooms.
Changes to the stadium will shift its acoustics, with the video board and concourse changes expected to keep more sound inside the stadium. Changes to the north end of the stadium will mitigate some wind from entering the stadium, but without a roof, fans will be far from weatherproofed.
All improvements are on-track to open for the Patriots’ first game of the 2023 season against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 10.
