COLUMBUS, Ohio — In its first season, Lower.com Field has begun to receive recognition and accolades. The new home of Columbus Crew was awarded the 2021 James B. Recchie Design Award presented by Columbus Landmarks.

According to the award’s presenter, the James B. Recchie Design Award is given in honor of the late James B. Recchie, a founding trustee of Columbus Landmarks, and awarded to projects that exemplify design excellence.

Lower.com Field is owned by Haslam Sports Group, J.W. & Whitney Johnson and Dr. Pete Edwards. It was designed by HNTB, Inc. and MKSK.

The stadium, located in Astor Park, broke ground Oct. 10, 2019 and had its ribbon-cutting ceremony June 29. The Crew played its first home match in Lower.com Field on July 3, hosting the New England Revolution.

Stadium features include:

  • 20,371 spectator seats, including 30 suites, 1,900 club seats and 3,356 safe-standing seats in the Nordecke supporters’ section
  • A 220,000-square foot canopy that covers every seat in the stadium and is designed to keep noise into the sunken field
  • A beer garden and The Pub
  • High-definition scoreboards
  • Two sensory rooms.

The plaza at the southeast corner of the stadium establishes a connection to the downtown area, while a new pedestrian bridge connects the area to the Olentangy bike path.

The award jurors for 2021 were Christie Angel, president and CEO of YWCA Columbus; Dorothee Imbert, director of the Knowlton School of Architecture and professor of landscape architecture and Ohio State University; and Michael Paplow, AIA, vice president and principal, FMS Architects.

The jurors reported appreciating the design team’s attention to detail, including the public spaces outside the gates, as well as those for the most loyal fans.

The other award finalists were Budd Dairy, the Mirror Lake District at Ohio State, Rise Brands HQ and The Gravity Project.

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