By Gil Fried
A recent article by Matt Rossetti published in April 2018 of Athletic Business — entitled Can Spectator Seating Be Both Steep and Safe? — deserves further examination.
The article examined The Bell Centre in Montreal mainly due to a large lower bowl and steep upper-bowl seating. Some teams like such a venue as it might feel like all the fans are “on top of you.” Such fan friendly facilities might have great sight lines, which is critical with attendance numbers declining at some facilities. But the article focused on the risk associated with steep seating areas. It highlighted the 19,000-seat Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., where at least four lawsuits resulted from fans tripping and falling in the arena’s steep upper bowl. While falls can happen almost anywhere in an arena, other fans have also complained of vertigo. To address safety concerns some facilities, such as Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena, which opened last September, features clear Plexiglas barriers in the front row to keep fans secure, with waist-high drink rails performing the same function for fans in the back row.
The article highlighted the growth in the inverted bowl design which has been developed and tested over the past seven years. “The inverted bowl design solves the steep-upper-deck dilemma by doing something unexpected: it doesn’t back away, it leans in — with revolutionary balcony seating that catapults viewers closer to the action. The result is broadcast-quality views that are up to 50 percent closer. The inverted bowl doesn’t just preserve fan safety — it prioritizes it. Larger landings and less crowding minimizes the chances of accidents and keeps fans away from edges — all without compromising viewing positions.”
Typical inverted bowl design features four tiers, with each tier seating roughly 2,000 spectators in three rows of seating. With only three rows, it greatly reduces the vertigo experienced in a steep upper bowl.
The article continued: “A stationary seat with a swing mechanism secures patrons in their seats, and instead of walking in front of other fans to access a seat, individuals walk safely behind the swivel chairs, keeping passersby safely behind tall chair backs. This is achieved by designing each row to be 25 percent deeper than that of the typical upper bowl, adding an additional 12 inches of space for spectators to circulate comfortably. There has never been a bowl designed where fans step behind the seats — a solution that keeps both seated viewers and passersby safe and comfortable.”
