# Mercedes Stadium (DD-617) > Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta opened on August 26, 2017, replacing the Georgia Dome as home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and MLS's Atlanta United FC. It is owned by the state of Georgia through the Georgia World Congress Center Authority and operated by the Falcons' parent company, AMB Group. Its construction cost was estimated at $1.6 billion in 2016. The architects, HOK, designed it from the top down. The roof has eight translucent ETFE "petals", each about 220 feet long. They appear to rotate like a camera aperture but actually slide in unison along 16 straight tracks, and HOK says they open in eight minutes and close in seven. Its circular opening was inspired by the oculus of Rome's Pantheon. The roof wasn't finished when the stadium opened. At a July 2018 demonstration, about 11 months after the first event, it opened in 8 minutes 10 seconds, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Below it hangs the Halo, a ring-shaped video board 58 feet tall and 1,100 feet around. The master plan set a regular capacity of 71,000, expandable to 75,000 for events such as the Super Bowl. On November 15, 2017, it became the first professional sports stadium to earn LEED Platinum certification, with 88 points. The stadium credits that to 4,000 solar panels producing about 1.6 million kWh a year, a 680,000-gallon rainwater cistern and a 2.1-million-gallon stormwater system. It hosted Super Bowl LIII in 2019. The footage looks up through the open roof from the field, then pans around the seating bowl and the Halo board. - Department: Locations (also Tech) - First published: 2025-07-19 - Last updated: 2025-07-19 - Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/mercedes-stadium/ - Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department ## On the timeline - **Aug. 26, 2017**: Mercedes-Benz Stadium opens in Atlanta - **Nov. 15, 2017**: It becomes the first professional sports stadium certified LEED Platinum - **July 2018**: The retractable roof is demonstrated, opening in 8 minutes 10 seconds - **2019**: The stadium hosts Super Bowl LIII Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=mercedes-stadium ## Quick facts - **DD-617-F01**: Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened on August 26, 2017. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (Opened 2017))_ - **DD-617-F02**: Mercedes-Benz Stadium was the first professional sports stadium to earn LEED Platinum certification. _(Write-up · Exhibit E (LEED Platinum))_ ## Write-up A roof that opens like a camera. Eight petals slide open in about eight minutes. 1. **Opened 2017**: The stadium opened on August 26, 2017, replacing the Georgia Dome. 2. **The petals**: Eight ETFE petals slide along 16 straight tracks, opening in about eight minutes. 3. **The Halo**: A ring-shaped video board 58 feet tall and 1,100 feet around circles the opening. 4. **Capacity**: It seats 71,000, expandable to 75,000 for events such as the Super Bowl. 5. **LEED Platinum**: It was the first professional sports stadium certified LEED Platinum, in November 2017. ## Related case files - [The Line (DD-031)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-line/): Another ambitious architecture case - [One Roof Town (DD-008)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/whittier-one-roof/): Another case about a whole lot under one roof ## Reel vs. record - **Note**: 'Opens in under eight minutes': HOK says the roof opens in eight minutes and closes in seven. At its July 2018 demonstration it opened in 8 minutes 10 seconds. - **Note**: 'Retractable "camera shutter" roof': the eight petals look as if they rotate like an aperture, but they actually slide in straight lines along 16 tracks. - **Note**: 'Opened in 2017': the stadium opened on August 26, 2017, but the roof wasn't fully working until July 2018, about 11 months later. - **Note**: 'Solar panels, and LEED Platinum certification': there are 4,000 panels, mostly on entry canopies and parking areas rather than the roof. In November 2017 it became the first professional sports stadium to reach LEED Platinum, with 88 points. - **Missing**: the roof's opening was inspired by Rome's Pantheon, and the stadium hosted Super Bowl LIII in 2019. ## Video: Mercedes Stadium: A Roof That Opens Like a Camera - Duration: 29.4 s · Published: 2025-07-19 - File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DMS1Yzptoc6.mp4 ### Transcript DID YOU KNOW? The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is a modern, multi-use arena that opened in 2017 as home to the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and MLS's Atlanta United FC, featuring an iconic retractable "camera shutter" roof that opens in under eight minutes and a massive 360° Halo video board encircling the roof opening. With a base capacity of around 71,000, which is expandable for major events, it boasts sustainable design elements like rainwater harvesting, solar panels, and LEED Platinum certification. NOW YOU KNOW! ## Questions & answers **Q: How many petals make up the stadium's roof?** A: Each about 220 feet long. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Opened 2017) · Wikipedia: Mercedes-Benz Stadium)_ **Q: When did Mercedes-Benz Stadium open?** A: On August 26, 2017. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Opened 2017) · Wikipedia: Mercedes-Benz Stadium)_ **Q: What is the stadium's ring-shaped video board called?** A: 58 feet tall and 1,100 feet around. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Opened 2017) · Wikipedia: Mercedes-Benz Stadium)_ **Q: What green building certification did it earn first among pro stadiums?** A: With 88 points, in November 2017. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (The petals) · HOK: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta's Game Changer; Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Mercedes-Benz Stadium roof opened in about eight minutes)_ **Q: Which ancient building inspired the roof opening?** A: Its oculus. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Opened 2017) · Wikipedia: Mercedes-Benz Stadium)_ ## Sources - [HOK: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta's Game Changer](https://www.hok.com/projects/view/mercedes-benz-stadium/) - [Mercedes-Benz Stadium: Sustainability & LEED Platinum](https://www.mercedesbenzstadium.com/sustainability) - [Mercedes-Benz Stadium: First professional sports stadium to receive LEED Platinum certification (November 15, 2017)](https://www.mercedesbenzstadium.com/news/mercedes-benz-stadium-becomes-first-professional-sports-stadium-to-receive-leed-platinum-certification) - [Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Mercedes-Benz Stadium roof opened in about eight minutes](https://www.ajc.com/sports/mercedes-benz-stadium-roof-opened-about-eight-minutes/3fTRqV1w31y64UY76DoABO/) - [Wikipedia: Mercedes-Benz Stadium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_Stadium) ## Cite this case file Easterling, Marcus. "Mercedes Stadium." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-617, last updated Jul 19, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/mercedes-stadium/