Aloha Stadium, located in Hawaii, has long been a venue for sports in America’s 50th state. It has been the home of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and the NFL’s Pro Bowl for many years. This stadium brought larger events to a state over 2000 miles from the mainland. However, decisions made during its design and planning phase long ago would ultimately be its downfall. This is Aloha Stadium, a lesson in stadium design.
Aloha Stadium was built and opened in 1975 as a multi-purpose stadium, primarily for use in football and minor league baseball. This stadium would have a rare design element that made it so that whole sections could be moved, so the shape of the stadium and field could be more seamlessly converted from one sport to the other. With a 50,000-seat capacity, it would be by far the largest venue in Hawaii and would be able to draw bigger events than typical for the state. Its most well-known event, the NFL’s Pro Bowl, would be held there all but twice in a 36-year period.
While much of the stadium’s history was uneventful, by the mid-2000s, flaws in the stadium’s original design would become increasingly apparent. Much of the stadium structure was built with what is called weathering steel. Initially, when it is exposed to the elements, there is some rust. However, it is expected that this would stop after a short period of time. Sometimes, though, the rust does not stop, particularly in tropical climates. The decision to use this type of construction material in the tropical climate of Hawaii would be a bad one.
Weathering steel was chosen in the construction of Aloha Stadium to avoid having to paint the structure every so many years. After over 20 years of exposure to the Hawaiian climate, the rust and corrosion were beginning to take their toll. By the mid-2000s, estimates were that over 200 million would be needed to restore and maintain the stadium for another 20 years. At first, only 12 and a half million would be approved for rust and corrosion removal. Then, in 2008, a larger 185 million dollar package was approved as a renovation and overhaul of the stadium. This would buy the venue time, but only so much.
In the last few years, concerns about the rust and aging of the structure resurfaced. The Pro Bowl stopped being hosted there after 2016, and in 2020, it was decided that no new events or funding would be given to the stadium, including games for its main tenant, the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. While a new stadium had already been approved at the site of Aloha, it was not in the plans for it to be so abruptly closed. Its closure has been officially stated to be due to Covid-19 financial issues. However, it is likely that this is an excuse to close it early, as it was reported that the building was likely to be condemned over its structural issues. It was expected that 30 million more would be needed to keep the stadium alive longer. A new stadium at a cost of 350 million dollars will be built in its place. However, the mistakes made in Aloha Stadium’s design will not be soon forgotten.
