Atlanta United unveiled the plans and design for its new training facility on Monday.
Here are three interesting things about the complex:
1. Club president Darren Eales and technical director Carlos Bocanegra drew on their extensive experiences in the soccer, as well as travelling the world as part of their research into the design. There will be one section of the grounds that will be devoted to training goalies. Eales said he thought they had hit upon something new until they visited Barcelona and saw that they also had a goalie training area. They also visited the Dallas Cowboys, as well as several stadiums in Europe from which they drew inspiration and ideas. Eales’ background includes working at West Bromwich Albion and Tottenham Hotspur, so he has seen most of the training grounds in England. Bocanegra has played in the U.S., Scotland, England, Spain and France, so he has an even broader experience. The team has already hired a few natives of England who have also seen a lot of training grounds. One of them said that Atlanta’s should among the best in MLS and on par with Liverpool’s and other large European clubs.
2. Eales said that they want the complex to have the feel of a state park. The renderings illustrate the number of trees that frame the snaking drive in, as well as the fields. The building will include a lot of outdoor spaces, as well as a pavilion, so that anyone inside is only a few steps away from being outside.
3. The first-team locker room is different from other locker rooms I’ve seen. First, it will have natural light flowing in from a vaulted ceiling. Second, it is round. The only other round locker room I’ve seen is one constructed for the Georgia State men’s and women’s basketball teams. Eales said they didn’t want corners, rows or anything else that can separate players. The renderings show numerous TVs built into the walls, and a giant Atlanta United logo in the middle of the floor.
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