Kiku Obata & Company

The 32-acre CITYPARK district, home of St. Louis CITY SC, is the largest urban pro sports campus in the U.S., integrating a stadium, team HQ, store, and practice facility. Designed by Snow Kreilich and HOK, it bridges The Gateway Arch to Forest Park, further driving St. Louis’ downtown revitalization. Meant as a gathering space within the city, not just a traditional sports venue, the 22,500-seat open-air stadium offers a fully inclusive and accessible design with public spaces seamlessly integrated – redefining sports venues as vibrant community hubs.

Kiku Obata & Company played a key role on the design team, creating wayfinding and code signage, environmental graphics, sponsorship elements, in-stadium digital experiences, and branding for food, beverage, and club spaces. The vision was to enhance the sports experience by weaving food, arts, and culture into a welcoming space for all, not just soccer fans. To achieve this, we moved beyond traditional stadium design, embracing a bold, yet minimalist and dynamic aesthetic.

The simple, contemporary wayfinding system pairs with active light and video installations and 3D super graphics. A custom typeface was developed for a ceiling-suspended light display on the East Concourse, which adds visual interest with patterns and colors during games and delivers key messages like “GOAL!” at pivotal moments. In the premium Ultra Club, digital animations span the entire ceiling on large screens, activating to heighten game-day excitement.

The understated wayfinding signage ensures functionality for non-soccer events while maintaining a cohesive design. This project seamlessly combines signage, wayfinding, and digital graphics to create an innovative, multi-use environment that elevates the fan experience and reflects the vibrant culture of St. Louis.