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As a building owner, I would imagine the safety of your occupants is one of your foremost concerns.

Now imagine a facility that needs to accommodate more than 50,000 people at once. This is the case at the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. The stadium, by the way, features a variety of metal with products from CENTRIA and GKD outfitting the $1.5 billion project. Cambridge mesh adorns the parking garage and Englert roofs cover the metro stop.

In regard to safety, specifically, I thought it might be interesting to point out the work of McNichols on the home of the famous baseball team:

Metal guard rails with infill panels abound, especially along balcony edges that overlook seating levels below. Similarly, guard rails that border the stadium’s pedestrian walkways and stair steps are replete with infill panels to protect the constant stream of fans entering and exiting their seats.

While safety was a primary concern, field visibility from the 52,325 seats was right up there with protecting exuberant fans when it came to selecting the infill panels for the railing system. Aesthetics and durability played a significant role, too, as the railings figure prominently in the stadium design, virtually looping the circumference of the field.

Wire mesh panels from McNichols were also used as borders for wheelchair areas.

The old stadium was obviously a classic fixture in sports, but updates such as these, made possible with the flexibility and versatility of metal, have helped bring the stadium into the 21st Century.