In late August 2005, the assault of Hurricane Katrina?s category 3 force — along with the subsequent sheltering of 40,000 occupants for four days ? left the Louisiana Superdome beaten and battered. Quickly, a team of local architects and builders and national stadium experts was assembled and given a daunting task: To assess the damage to and rebuild the Superdome to a condition better than before Hurricane Katrina — and, in doing so, rekindle the spirit of New Orleans.
The plan was to combine the influx of Federal Emergency Management Agency recovery dollars with state funds to not only repair the Superdome, but to enhance its amenities to keep it current with or slightly ahead of its peer venues.
The stadium was to be upgraded with new premium environments, new concessions services and state-of-the-art audiovisual technologies. In addition, the Superdome?s vast interior was to be given stronger connections to its surrounding Crescent City context — something the building had previously lacked. All this was to be done before the NFL season opener ? only eight months away.
Immediately, work began on remediation and repair. More than 5,000 tons of finishes, furniture and equipment were removed and replaced. Next, NFL-caliber clubs and suites — complete with wood ceilings and millwork, carpets, stone and advanced media components — were installed within the Superdome?s underutilized middle levels. Patrons also now benefit from new high-definition wide-aspect-ratio scoreboards, LED ribbon technologies and new distributed-sound systems.
Dilboy Memorial Stadium
