Building stadiums underground would have many interesting challenges, but none insurmountable. Obviously one of the problems is air quality control. Since there will be some 20,000 people in a rather small area, it will need a reliable, redundant air exchange system.
Parking would be underground as well, and exiting the stadium would present a potential carbon monoxide issue. We don't want cars idling in a queue waiting to go up. So, I propose we lock the cars in. One lot attendant on each floor puts a lock on parking space once the vehicles are in place. It may pull out from the floor, the side, or the ceiling, whatever does the job. Then, an attendant is required to unlock the lock to let people drive off.
You have to show your ticket to get in. Parking is free with your ticket for the event. If there's too many cars circling for a parking space, the attendendant tells the next car in line to wait before going down.
The stadium would be big enough for all the usual events: concerts, football games, etc. The elevators would have windows so that you could see the layers of rock you are going down through.
This would be a very safe place from hurricanes(or nukes!), especially if designed with lessons learned from the superdome, etc.-- Madai, Sep 27 2005 Lack of sunlight makes it near impossible to grow grass good enough or enough enough for a football pitch.
Also, of the three major stadia in my city, the smallest has seating enough for 50,000.-- calum, Sep 27 2005 The turf would have to be artificial. As for sizing the audience, yes, the size would likely need to be smaller than above-ground stadiums, but maybe 20,000 is a bit too low.-- Madai, Sep 27 2005 Easiest way to build a subterranean stadium is to dig a big hole and put a roof over it. Though that wouldn't help much in the event of nuclear war.
I'm really not seeing many advantages - you can't see the outside world inside most stadiums, so what difference does it make to be underground?-- DrCurry, Sep 27 2005 Well, nuclear war protection is not the goal, but, it should at least be designed to handle a cat-5 hurricane.
It's not completely about "advantages". I think John Kennedy said it best:
"We choose to do these things not because they are easy but because they are hard."
I'm sure performers and fans alike will feel a little prestigious about having been 500 feet (or whatever) below the surface. Bonus if it's designed to be a viable disaster relief area.-- Madai, Sep 27 2005 Most people want to join the Mile High Club, not the Mile Low, but I guess you'd have some takers for novelty value.-- DrCurry, Sep 27 2005 I've always wondered if grow lights are considered too expensive for the application of growing grass in a dome.-- Zimmy, Sep 27 2005 uhmm ... am I missing something or wasn't the biggest problem in New Orleans the fact that the whole city is shaped like a bowl? Making a bowl inside of a bigger bowl doesn't really decrease the chances of flooding much. Ya, sure it could withstand the wind, but everyone in the stadium would drown like rats.-- ixnaum, Sep 27 2005 // I think John Kennedy said it best:// He also said (at Rice?) "We choose to do this _and_the_other_ things_" (my underlining) - what were the "other things" ?-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, Sep 27 2005 random, halfbakery