St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Conceived as more than a stadium, the St. Louis CITY Soccer Club sought to make Energizer Park a dynamic civic destination that would bring fresh energy and pride to the city. As the league’s first club to be majority-owned by women, it began with a vision that extended beyond sports, creating a new vision for the city.
Energizer Park by HOK and Snow Kreilich Architects, won an American Architecture Award 2025 from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
Located in the heart of the City of St. Louis, the new 22,500-seat MLS stadium is part of a 25.5-acre district. CITY SC’s underlying aspiration is to be a place that supports Nelson Mandela’s statement: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand.”
While Energizer Park is very much about excellence in the sport, it is equally about the ability to build on the creative energy rising in the city, to move toward an energetic and inclusive future.
Energizer Park shifts the Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium paradigm from an enclosed space divorced from the city to a public space that brings together all of St. Louis to be part of a civic soccer experience. Designed as an urban stadium, Energizer Park occupies a former freeway off-ramp and parking lot. By placing the pitch and its support facilities below grade, the stadium is scaled to the neighborhood and has no street level loading docks. Open corners welcome fans from St. Louis neighborhoods in all directions. The Park is open, porous, dynamic, and connected to the city. On match day, the energy of the stadium is shared with the city, and from inside, the city is present at every match.
Energizer Park defies convention by participating in the city’s life. It further distinguishes itself by prioritizing principles of equity and sustainability, setting a new standard for professional sports venues. Energizer Park charts new stadium design possibilities by reimagining the relationship between the stadium and its community.
Occupying the western end of the Gateway Mall, one of St Louis’ most significant urban places, the stadium completes the mall. Energizer Park responds to the urban forms of the city and creates moments within the stadium when you feel part of the city’s life. From the city, you are part of the energy of the match.
The stadium does not turn its back toward the historically marginalized north side, as all sides are seen as critical to its design success.
Along Market Street, a sculptural installation by St. Louis artist Damon Davis commemorates the Mill Creek Valley community, a thriving African American neighborhood that was cleared on this site during urban renewal in the 1950s. “Pillars of the Valley” pays homage to the former neighborhood, in partnership with Great Rivers Greenway, Harris-Stowe State University, and Counter public 2023 Civic Art Exhibition.
Energizer Park has also received recognition for its sustainability and fan experience, including accessibility, inclusivity, and technology. Siting of the zero-waste stadium thoughtfully provides an outdoor events plaza, lush native plantings, and connection to newly developed pedestrian and cycling pathways.
Architect: HOK
Principals-in-Charge: Eli Hoisington & Chris DeVolder
Lead Architects: Paul Jacob, Jeff Verkamp, Craig Milde, and Kevin Semple
Design Team: Tyler Clark, Ryan Blanner, and Andrew Zell
Associate Architect: Snow Kreilich Architects
Lead Architects: Julie Snow, Tyson McElvain, Jason Dannenbring, Karen Lu, Christina Stark, Justin Wang, Nathan Van Wylen and Nick Wallin
General Contractors: (MAK) Joint Venture: M. A. Mortenson Company, Alberici Constructors, and Keeley Construction Group
Client: St. Louis CITY SC
Photographers: Michael Robinson
