It took a while for the Washington Metropolitan Area to get its own soccer-specific stadium, but it has arrived with Audi Field. Built in the Buzzard Point neighborhood of Washington, DC, it’s home to Major League Soccer club DC United and the Washington Spirit, the professional women’s soccer team of the National Women’s Soccer League.
The 20,000-seat facility was constructed in just 17 months and opened in July 2018 in time for the start of the season. Designed by the firm of Populous (formerly HOK) and financed through a naming rights deal with car manufacturer Audi, it is the first soccer-specific stadium to feature a retractable roof in North America.
In keeping with modern MLS trends, Audi Field features 31 premium areas including the Heineken MVP Club and EagleBank Club. However, the stadium also does a good job of balancing the needs of suite holders and others who follow the game less closely with those of hardcore fans within the seating bowl.
A big part of the credit for this goes to the acoustics, which were engineered by Marshall Moya Design to ensure that fans can hear each other and the action on the field without the need for headsets or speakers. This attention to sound design is one of the best in MLS and something that all teams should aspire to.
Audi Field is located about a 30-minute walk from Capitol Hill and the National Mall, and about 30 minutes more from downtown Washington DC. It is served by buses operated by the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority and is about a 0.8 mile walk from both Navy Yard Metrorail station and Waterfront Station. It’s also easily accessible by car with parking available in the lot directly adjacent to the stadium.
