Populous deconstructed the notion of ‘the beautiful game’ to design a progressive, fan-oriented stadium for Sporting Kansas City. Based on the concept of stop-motion photography, the design of Children's Mercy Park seeks to capture movement and motion by celebrating both the body and the ball.

The building’s exterior of repeating angular metal fins represent the ‘body,’ or, translated, the players’ athleticism on the field. The fins align over the length of the building façade to create animated movement like the players on the field. The signature roof canopy is derived from the long floating arc of the soccer ball as it soars across the field.  The roof’s polycarbonate panels create an intimate, yet grand scale. Functionally, the roof aids in amplifying crowd noise as it covers every seat in the stadium.

Sporting KC’s desire to create a fan-oriented stadium was brought to life through various club spaces where fans can interact with players, suites with common lounges and rolling floor-to-ceiling doors and a year-round sports bar designed to be the place in Kansas City to watch soccer matches around the globe. In addition to hosting soccer, the stadium features a retractable seating section in the seating bowl’s south end that, when retracted, will reveal a stage that can be used for end-stage concerts.

Children's Mercy Park’s brand- and fan-oriented design elements have combined to create the new American standard for soccer stadium design.