Everton stadium architect says sector ‘dominated by handful of firms’
Aecom has appointed Everton stadium architect Dan Meis as its new director of global sports design.
Meis was previously the senior principal at Populous and global director of sport at Woods Bagot.
Meis, who will start the role this Friday, has been the managing director at the New York-based practice Meis Architects for 17 years.
As well as Everton’s new ground, Meis’s projects include the sports city stadium for the Qatar World Cup in 2022, and a new stadium for football club AS Roma in Italy.
Despite its size, Aecom is not known for its sport stadia work but the arrival of Meis and his 13-strong team is expected to see the firm get a foothold in a sector dominated by firms such as Populous and HOK.
Meis said: “Sports architecture has long been dominated by a small handful of design firms and is well overdue for some creative disruption.”
> Also read: Pattern picked to help Meis design Everton’s stadium
Meis started his career in sports architecture in 1992 with the construction firm Ellerbe Becket, which was acquired by Aecom in 2009. Whilst at the firm, Meis, was the lead designer for the Manchester arena.
Meis Architects merged with Perkins Eastman three years ago and under the new deal will report to Bill Hanway, Aecom’s executive vice president and global sports leader.
Hanway added: “Design for sports and venues is entering a period of profound evolution based on innovations in technology that affect the fan and athlete experience. Dan has been a pioneer in this industry and he will play a pivotal role in the development of our work to meet these changes.”
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