Gensler Sports worked alongside Precourt Sports Ventures to design Q2 Stadium and soccer park at McKalla Place in Austin for the city’s first professional sports team, Austin FC. Built to accommodate 20,500 soccer fans, Q2 Stadium capitalizes on its natural landscape, the city’s cultural heritage, and its tech-forward growth. The large roof canopy, which covers the entire seating bowl, protects fans from rainfall and keeps the seats shaded. The stadium is also oriented to pull in breezes aided by open corners, an open-air concourse, and breathable mesh fabric seats, the most of any major league sports venue worldwide.Open concourses and standing areas allow fans to move around and socialize or visit local food vendors. VIP guests can access hospitality-inspired air-conditioned clubs and suites. Before and after matches, fans come together in the multiple, landscaped outdoor spaces which surround Q2 Stadium, including an outdoor amphitheater and stage for live music. The outdoor spaces are open to the public on non-game days and can host a range of activities, such as farmer’s markets and concerts. Recently approved transportation funding will provide an onsite metro station to bring fans to the stadium on game day and spur transit-oriented development.Gensler also designed St. David’s Performance Center, a 29,000-square-foot state-of-the-art soccer practice facility, that features four full-sized and one half-sized field, including a community field, a public amenity with seating for 1,000 spectators.