Renderings Released For Washington Commanders’ Planned Roofed Stadium

The Washington Commanders have put images behind the team’s planned roofed stadium, releasing a batch of conceptual renderings with architect HKS that shows how the former RFK Stadium site will one day house a stadium featuring a sculpted, transparent roofed venue.

“Monumental in presence, grounded in the L’Enfant Plan and scaled to the urban fabric of the district, the stadium design will be a bold civic landmark that carries the city’s architectural legacy forward in a way that is confident, dynamic and unmistakably Washington, D.C.,” says Mark Williams, HKS global venues director.

Mark Clouse, president of the Commanders, calls the release of the renderings a “defining milestone in the next phase of the development process,” adding the designs show a forward-looking approach.

The stadium’s site sits along D.C.’s Monumental Axis. The proposed venue will hold roughly 70,000 fans and help launch a mixed-use development. Located on the former RFK Stadium site and aligned with the L’Enfant Plan, French designer Pierre L’Enfant’s city plan of 1790 that features a network of broad diagonal axes superimposed over a more traditional pattern of east-west and north-south streets, the project expands the existing waterfront and park experience with an additional recreational network. The team aims to link the city’s historic core with the Anacostia River.

The most striking element of the newly released renderings show a sculpted, transparent dome roof that the team says will establish a dynamic yet respectful profile rising to welcome visitors from the north and south while maintaining a lower presence along the east-west axis in deference to the U.S. Capitol and monuments.

Drawing inspiration from the legacy of RFK Stadium, the stadium design emphasizes openness, continuity and shared experience, the Commanders say, with a continuous colonnade.

To get to the current renderings, HKS worked with the District of Columbia and the Commanders to participate in a series of community engagement sessions to gain input from local leaders and residents. More meetings are scheduled for this month.

“From the beginning, our focus has been on delivering a best-in-class experience for Commanders fans while honoring the legacy of RFK Stadium and our team,” Clouse says. “We’re designing a stadium that amplifies the energy of football, supports year-round events and becomes a place the community can be proud of. We look forward to hearing feedback from our community as the design continues to evolve.”

The Commanders plan to open the new venue in 2030.

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