Home to Seattle’s favourite sports team, the Seahawks, and a major venue for events, concerts and trade shows, CenturyLink Field is a stadium in the heart of Seattle and a major landmark of the city. The stadium has a capacity of 69,000 people, hosting fans notoriously known as some of the loudest in the world, breaking a Guinness World Record for the loudest crowd roar during a 2013 Seahawks game. In addition to serving a venue for Seahawks NFL games, the stadium is the home field of the Seattle Sounders soccer team, and a space utilised for cultural events in the city, which is only 1.6 kilometres away.
The best way to experience CenturyLink Field is to attend a Seahawks game, the local NFL team of Seattle, when the crowds are huge and explosive, and the shops are open, selling green and blue team coloured merchandise. Visitors can also go to a concert, which is easily possible as many musicians play in the stadium, including, in the past, The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift and U2. In addition to artists, the stadium has hosted a range of notable speakers, such as the Dalai Lama who gave a speech on the grounds in 2008. Visitors can also access the stadium during any regular trade show, which takes place in the west side events centre, made up of two impressive exhibition halls, a concourse and conference room.
Local buses serve the stadium, with stops within walking distance, and the metro service has express routes open during game times, providing park and ride facilities. The nearest train station is Seattle King Street, and regional trains accommodate their timetables to Seahawk games. Drivers can access CenturyLink Field via Interstate 5 and Interstate 90, the intersection of which borders the grounds of the stadium.
Ellerbe Becket, an architectural firm, designed CenturyLink Field, supported by the Seahawks owner Paul Allen, and construction began in 2000 and finished two years later. The design orientated around the concepts of an outdoor venue and a large, efficient space with an intimate atmosphere. Originally called Seahawks Stadium, the name first changed to Qwest Field in 2004, before gaining its current title in 2011.