CenturyLink Field or as it is now called Lumen Field is the extremely loud home of the Seattle Seahawks and its famous 12th man fans. Lumen Field broke ground in 1998 as a replacement for the Kingdome, which was beginning to show its age due to its cheap initial construction budget. Lumen Field finally opened in 2002 with the look of a stadium built for the new millennium. Calls for a new stadium to replace the Kingdome escalated in the mid-1990s as issues with the roof, including roof tiles started to collapse before a scheduled Mariners game, whom the Seahawks shared the stadium with. With the threat from both teams to move elsewhere, the Seahawks and Mariners were both awarded new stadiums to be built with public funds. The decision to use public funds proved controversial after local billionaire Paul Allen called for a statewide referendum vote to ask the public for approval. Allen paid $4 million dollars for the logistical costs of the referendum, which sparked a lawsuit stating that since he would be the one benefitting from the referendum he should not be able to pay for it. The lawsuit was eventually tossed out. The Washington public voted and narrowly passed the decision with 51.1% approving the construction of what was then called Seahawks Stadium. A relatively modest budget of $430 million dollars was set for the project. The public government would pay up to $300 million for the project, and Paul Allen and his company First and Goal Inc, which he had used to acquire the Seahawks, would pay for any other cost overruns. Architectural Firm Ellerbe Becket was contracted to design the new stadium. Paul Allen wanted to have the 1.5 million square foot stadium complex to have an intimate feeling similar to the nearby Husky Stadium, where the Seahawks would temporarily move while Lumen Field was being constructed. Construction ran into major issues when it was discovered the site sat on soft topsoil. The site was also the smallest site of any new NFL Stadium site, adding further constraints to the project. To get around this 2200 pilings were drilled deep into the ground to create a pier like structure for construction to begin on. The stadium was also built into eight separate but connected sections to improve stability in case of an Earthquake. Further influencing the project above and beyond what would be normal for an owner, Allen rejected plans for a retractable roof on the stadium. He wanted the stadium to have the best views possible of the nearby Seattle Skyline. A compromise was made to partially cover the seats and have the playing surface open to the elements. The compromise allowed for 70% of fan seats to be shielded from the rain while still allowing as much open air and light in as possible. The stadium was built for multi-purpose large scale events, with a capacity of 68,840 seats for NFL games and 37,722 for MLS games. The massive scoreboards at the stadium include an 84 foot by 24 foot board, and a 44 foot by 50 foot board allowing fans to easily see every replay with ease. Despite all of the challenges associated with construction, the stadium opened on budget and a month ahead of schedule. Reception to the stadium has been nearly universally positive with many noting its unique fan experience and intimate atmosphere. The only major changes to the stadium since completion were the addition of the new Toyota Fan Deck which added 1000 new seats and a 12th man flag platform. The stadium’s roof was also repainted from white to blue. The 12th man fans and the overall intensity of the stadium is perhaps the most remarkable part of Lumen Field. For a time the stadium held the record for the loudest stadium in the world at 137.57 decibels. For comparison standing near a jet engine would be a similar intensity at 140 decibels. The intensity of the noise was so loud that in 2005 the Giants committed 11 false start penalties. Giants GM Ernie Accorsi complained to the NFL and insisted that the Seahawks were pumping in artificial crowd noise over the PA system. The NFL investigation concluded that the stadium was not using artificial crowd noise, it was just extremely loud. The Seahawks lost the record for loudest stadium to the Kansas City Chiefs on September 29, 2014 when Arrowhead Stadium hit an astonishing 142.2 decibels. It's hard to say if that record will ever be beat. Other intense moments at the stadium have caused nearby sensors to register mini-earthquakes from fans yelling and jumping around after intense plays. Perhaps the most famous of these was on January 8th, 2011 when Marshawn Lynch had is famous Beast Quake.

• published: 07 Jun 2021
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