Rossetti and WSP to renovate Arthur Ashe stadium after US Open

Tennis venue Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York is set to undergo "major surgery" by architect Rossetti and structural engineer WSP immediately following the conclusion of the 2025 US Open.

Located within the former World's Fair site Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, the Arthur Ashe arena is the largest tennis stadium in the world and is the centrepiece of USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which hosts the annual US Open tennis championship.

First opened in 1997, the stadium is set to receive exterior and interior updates starting in early September by its original architect, Detroit-based architecture studio Rossetti, which has also overseen other renovations throughout the years, including adding the stadium's retractable roof in 2016.

Engineering firm WSP is working on the project's structural design.

Major updates include an expansion to the concourse level, which will be cantilevered, new suites added along its upper bowl, and a reconfiguration of its lower bowl for more courtside seating.

Renders also show expansive 110-foot-tall (34-metre), curving gates added to the entrance. Designed in part by architecture studio Studio Daniel Libeskind, the gates will serve as "architectural landmarks", according to the team.

Construction will take place between three US Opens with "the major structural work" occurring between the 2025 and 2026 events.

As the venue is the only site "capable of hosting an event of this magnitude", it is required to be opened with "no evidence of construction" during the championship.

"This is the only US Open facility capable of hosting an event of this magnitude," said WSP structural engineer of record for the original stadium Ahmad Rahimian.

"You can’t relocate this event. For tennis, there is no backup venue. That makes this project incredibly unique, but it also makes our deadline immobile."

The stadium's lower level will be extended upwards to increase seating from 3,000 to 5,000 seats, while the upper bowl will be "partially demolished" to accommodate new suites.

Other updates include additional escalators, staircases and concession and retail, and "significantly" increased access to restrooms across all levels.

As part of the project, a 300,000-square-foot (27,870-square-metre) Player Performance building will also be added to the campus. To be located in the left-most corner of the campus on the site of a current parking lot, the building will be dedicated to parking, training, medical and amenity spaces for athletes.

"It's major surgery!" said WSP project lead Craig Tracy. "We can't just focus on the final condition. We have to ensure the structure is stable at every stage of demolition and reconstruction."

Recently, Dezeen rounded up eye-catching tennis venus across the world and Central Saint Martins graduate Noé Chouraqui developed a 3D-printed alternative to standard-issue tennis balls.

The images are by Rossetii.

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