Elmont, New York, USA
The architecture firm Populous, which specializes in Global sports and events, unveiled the new vision for the redesign of Belmont Park, the horse-racing track located in Nassau County, New York.
Belmont Park is an iconic global racetrack with a long history which Populous, a firm that has global expertise in horse racing design, sees as an inspiration for the revamp.
“Belmont Park has always been an iconic venue where people gather together, and its storied past is rich with trendsetting racing innovation. Working alongside NYRA, Populous is well suited to help deliver their vision for the new Belmont Park, respecting the heritage of the venue while reinventing a world-class experience that is approachable, dynamic and unexpected.,” says Meg McWilliam, Populous Principal and Project Manager.
The new design for Belmont Park takes inspiration from the ribbon, a traditional symbol of victory, and departs from the current Belmont style.
In the structure itself, there are approximately 275,000 square feet of elegant, state-of-the-art infrastructure that can seat about 7,500 guests. The area features a variety of club and dining spaces, food and beverage outlets, private suites, and indoor/outdoor experiences.
There will be additional capacity in the ground-level “Mercado” to support backyard general admissions and temporary overlay facilities that can be used to support additional capacity — up to 50,000 guests — for special events.
The new building is five levels above ground with an outdoor terrace at the top level, providing sweeping views of the site under the graceful canopy that tops the building.
Back-of-house, state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure were implemented to streamline operations for the many people working tirelessly to make each race day possible, whether they work in broadcast, guest services, building engineering, or catering services.
“The new Belmont Park will be a thoroughly modern racing and entertainment facility that will take its place on the global stage among iconic venues like Ascot, Longchamp and The Curragh. It is an honor to design and develop a venue that will appeal to racing enthusiasts and attract a new generation of fans,” says Marc Holliday, NYRA Chairman Board of Directors Chairman
Populous ensured that Belmont Park remained a park throughout the design process, as the vast green area is highly valued.
The new design will increase outdoor gathering spaces at Belmont by almost five times. Moreover, it will give back space to the backyard, which can be used for racing events and community festivals such as The Park.
Project: The New Belmont Park
Architects: Populus
Client: The New York Race Association (NYRA)
Images: Courtesy of the architects
