What is Populous? Here’s what KC firm in running for Chiefs stadium has designed
The Kansas City Chiefs announced Tuesday, Jan 27, that two local architecture firms have advanced to the final stage of the design process for the team’s new stadium coming to Wyandotte County in 2031.
A statement provided by the Chiefs says Populous is one of the finalists. The architecture firm was founded in 1983 in Kansas City, when it was originally called HOK Sport. They changed their name to Populous after a management buyout from HOK Group in 2009.
The other architecture firm in the running is MANICA, which was founded in 2007 by former HOK Sport employee David Manica.
Populous has designed landmarks like Las Vegas’ Sphere, led the architecture of the Buffalo Bills soon-to-open stadium and worked on several local sporting facilities.
Populous has moved around the Kansas City area, with main offices in the Garment District, River Market and Country Club Plaza neighborhoods. It now resides in the Power & Light District.
The firm has approximately 1,600 employees worldwide and 34 offices on four continents. Three regional centers are located in Kansas City; London; and Brisbane, Australia.
What has Populous designed?
Populous is responsible for designs and upgrades to over 250 stadiums, arenas and airport terminals around the world. Recently, they designed New Highmark Stadium, the new stadium of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills in Windom, New York, opening in 2026.
Their leadership also helped design and upgrade these venues:
- The Sphere in Las Vegas
- Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle
- Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore
- Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London
- Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia
- New Grand Stade Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco, for the 2030 World Cup
Had voters approved a 3/8th-cent sales tax to help pay for a new Kansas City Royals ballpark in the Crossroads and more upgrades to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in 2024, Populous would’ve designed that one as well.
Locally, they’ve upgraded or designed for Arrowhead Stadium, Sporting Park, T-Mobile Center and HomeField KC sports complexes.
“For more than 40 years, Populous has proudly called Kansas City home,” Scott Radecic, co-founder and global director of Populous, said in a statement. “From here, we have redefined modern sports venue design, creating iconic places that unite communities and transform how fans connect with their teams and each other.”
If Populous is selected, they will be responsible for constructing a stadium “in a first-class manner, so as to be generally comparable in overall quality and features to other domed NFL stadiums,” according to a 33-page legal contract.
One of the comparable stadiums listed in the contract is State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, which was also designed by Populous. It was also the site of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII victory in February 2023.
