The customer is always right.
A defining principle of business, the Buffalo Bills are learning that the hard way in the wake of opening the new Highmark Stadium. Obstructed views have become the talk of the town after fans lashed out on social media following the Bills' Blue & Red practice, showcasing the less-than-ideal vantage points offered across the NFL's newest stadium.
The Bills responded with a statement on Aug. 10, expressing that they are "currently addressing internal and external feedback regarding the facility's operation following the first event." Many fans pointed to the railings in the upper level as the main point of contention.
The venue, built by Kansas City-based architecture firm Populous, has now responded to the criticism
as well. Jonathan Mallie – the managing director of Populous’ Americas practice – called into Buffalo's WGR 550 to explain why the stairways were designed that way at Highmark Stadium.
"Starting with just the building type, stadiums in general or airports, these are some of the most complex buildings in the world that we have to deal with," Mallie said. "When you think about that, all of design are trade-offs. And so one major thing that we wanted to do was alleviate as much congestion on the concourses as possible. Create open views from concourse. Old Highmark didn't have this.
"So, old Highmark you're going behind a wall and you're going to get your food, to get your drink. So we wanted to keep those stairwells out of that concourse and put them on that leading edge. And this is not unique to Buffalo. So there are 21 professional stadiums between the NFL and Major League Baseball – 14 of which in the NFL – that have the outboard stairs. It's common practice. It's a way to create those views from the concourse, alleviate the congestion. And so when you go and get your drink, you can actually catch a view of the game."
Mallie noted that there are some trade-offs with this type of project. In the case of the Bills' new stadium, the goal was to have 360-degree stadium views from the concourse.
"It is, and that was a key element in providing that protection for the fans," Mallie added. "So when you have that opportunity to maybe duck in and get out of the elements for a minute. You go get your drink, but you can still have an eyeball on the game. And that's a complete departure from old Highmark. Just a noticeable difference."
Of course, fans might not take lightly to those comments, considering the new venue came with the added cost of personal seat licenses (PSLs) – essentially purchasing the right to buy season tickets.
New Highmark Stadium is also the smallest in the NFL in terms of seating capacity with just 60,108 seats and came at a cost of $2.2 billion. While the additional legroom is a bonus, fewer seats typically conveys a message of better sightlines.
While the early returns weren't promising, it is also a reminder that the building has a long way to go before feeling like home. The old Highmark Stadium had been home since 1973, a venue filled with plenty of memories and traditions.
It will take some time for the new version to catch up. For now, it hasn't been a warm welcome to Orchard Park for the new Highmark Stadium.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stadium architect explains reason behind Bills obstructed view seats
