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In 672 days, University of Washington fans will find themselves in seats that are closer to a field unimpeded by a track. They’ ll spend more time in those seats, too, because they won’ t be required to stand in long lines for a snack, or a trip to the restroom.
In 672 days, thanks to a $250 million facelift – a transplant, actually – the experience of watching a football game at Husky Stadium will be enhanced in every conceivable way: better, brighter, spiffier, and if Steve Sarkisian can find a few defensive players adept at hurrying a pass and stuffing the run, happier.
And yet, a question lingers:
Will the new Husky Stadium be as loud as the old one has been?
Artists’ conceptions of the project reveal cantilevered roofs designed to shield spectators from the rain, with the ulterior benefit of containing sound waves that escape in an uncovered stadium. The construction of a protected upper deck on the south side, in 1950, first amplified the noise at Husky Stadium. (Adding 15,000 voices didn’ t hurt, either.)
The 1987 installment of the north-side upper deck pushed the seating capacity to 72,500 – still more voices bouncing off a roof, creating the phenomenon that established UW as home of a crowd loud enough to register a 130-decibel reading during a 1992 night game against Nebraska.
How loud is 130 decibels?
“ It is the recognized threshold of ear pain, ” notes the Huskies’ Gameday Magazine, “ and the noise equivalent of being 100 feet away from an accelerating jet.”
Preserving the sort of home-field advantage achieved by replicating airport-runway conditions was a priority for the architects, but surprises happen in architecture. Bridges can crumble (Tacoma Narrows, 1940). Decks can collapse in the middle of construction (Husky Stadium, 1987).
Given the amenities of 18-chair luxury suites ($60,000 per suite), patio suites ($10,000-$15,000) and an outdoor club with access to a private lounge ($1,050– $1,950) it is conceivable the new, improved Husky Stadium will not pack the “ threshold-of-ear-pain” intimidation quality of the old, debilitated Husky Stadium.
And if the intimidation quality is compromised, what then?
Washington football fans still will be able to savor one of the world’ s most picturesque settings for a sports event – stadium views combining a bay sparkling in the sunlight with a snowcapped mountain on the horizon – while they remember an everlasting roar echoing in their minds.
john.mcgrath@thenewstribune.com
