AZ Cardinals’ Home Named Best Sports Stadium of the Decade

Sports Illustrated has named the University of Phoenix Stadium the best new sports venue of the decade. The bold environmental graphics for the Arizona Cardinals’ home were developed by Michael Gericke and his team and have received a long series of honors. The 1.7 million-square-foot stadium has quickly become one of the central venues in the sports world and was the site of Super Bowl XLII. The Cardinals have sold out every game they have played in four seasons at the stadium. Congratulations to the Cardinals, who were the NFC champs in last season’s Super Bowl, have just clinched the NFC West Division and are now headed to the playoffs. Go Big Red!

Go Cards!

Best of luck to the Arizona Cardinals, who, after an incredible season, will meet the Philadelphia Eagles for this Sunday’s NFC playoffs at University of Phoenix Stadium. The game will take place amidst the bold environmental graphics developed by Michael Gericke and his team for the stadium, which was also the site of last year’s Super Bowl. The winner of this Sunday’s game will go on to Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa. Go Cards!

Update: Congratulations to the Cardinals, who defeated the Eagles 32-25, winning their first league championship since 1947. They face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII on February 1. Believe it.

Giants Win Super Bowl at Arizona Cardinals Stadium

Although our true loyalties lie with their crosstown rivals, Pentagram’s New York office was cheering on the New York Giants in their victory against the New England Patriots in Sunday’s Super Bowl XLII. The game was the first Super Bowl to be played at the NFL’s newest stadium (now named University of Phoenix Stadium), opened in 2006 and for which Michael Gericke designed the environmental graphics and James Biber the interiors program. The structure was named by BusinessWeek magazine to be one of the most innovative sporting structures in the world and will be the home of future Super Bowls. Gericke was in attendance at the game, as was associate Don Bilodeau.

Snapshots from the event and a peek at a permanent tribute by Pentagram after the jump.

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Unbeige Visits Arizona Cardinals Stadium

Steve Delahoyde of Unbeige checks out our environmental graphics for Cardinals Stadium during a trip home to Glendale, AZ.

Arizona Cardinals Stadium Opens

The Cardinals’ new home in Glendale, AZ

The new Cardinals Stadium opens this weekend with environmental graphics and interiors by Pentagram. Michael Gericke and his team (in collaboration with Entro) designed the building’s overall graphic program, including identification, wayfinding, large-scale thematic elements, sponsor graphics, scoreboards and end zone treatments. Jim Biber and his team designed interiors for the locker rooms, club lounges, corporate lofts, and AZone team store. The stadium was designed by Peter Eisenman and HOK Sport. The first preseason game—the Cardinals play the Steelers—is tomorrow; the regular season begins on September 10.

Updates: Press conference with the designers, including Michael Gericke. The new stadium scores with fans: AP wire. Red is the color for Unbeige.

First pics after the jump.

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