Two sliding doors open to a dark room illuminated by floor-to-ceiling television screens joined together to showcase the Chargers bolt across a blue background.
After a short video, a section of doors across the room automatically opens to a new room filled with white replica models lit by bright lights and twinkling screens.
No, this isn't Disneyland. It's the premiere center in Playa Vista for the new SoFi Stadium – a 300-acre entertainment city slated for completion in 2020 that will be double the size of both parks at the Disneyland Resort.
"It's still three seasons away, but you can just see the enthusiasm from the sales group," remarked Chargers Owner and Chairman of the Board Dean Spanos while standing in the newly completed premiere center. "When you start looking at the monitors that show the stadium being built in real time, (you realize) it's physically happening. It's a reality, and you can't do anything but get excited when you see it."
"The entire project is so impressive," added Chargers President of Business Operations A.G. Spanos. "It's clearly going to raise the bar for NFL stadiums as well as the expectations of fans and all eventgoers. Our aim is to provide Chargers fans with an amazing game-day experience, and that's exactly what this stadium will do. It's why we're so excited about this project, it aligns perfectly with our Chargers' values."
As a place for potential suite-owners and sponsors to get a look at what they can invest in, Vice President of Sales and Service for Legends Greg Kish explains that the premiere center actually does much more. "It brings the entertainment center (of the entire district) to life," says Kish.
Those interested in suites get a literal front row seat to check out all the concepts and premium options. Prospective suite owners can take a virtual reality tour of what all tiers of suites will look like from interiors to views of the field.
But the showstopper is the room that houses white replica models of the new SoFi Stadium at Hollywood Park, as well as its surrounding entertainment city soon to be filled with retail shops and commercial, residential and hotel spaces.
The stadium model has projectors displaying crowds, cars driving by neighboring streets and a Tecmo Bowl-esque game between the Chargers and Los Angeles Rams. At the push of a button, the field can be transformed to a basketball court showcasing the Final Four and the double-sided video board lights up.
The models are so large, they had to be lifted into the premiere space via a crane. Much like the new stadium, even they went Hollywood.
"The crazy thing about the models is that because we were doing all the construction here, the technology (on the model) needs to be dust-free," Kish explained. "They actually set up the model on a soundstage in Hollywood to do all the projection and map it. So, we would go to Hollywood to see the model while everything else was being done here."
Two things stand out about the stadium upon first glance: the enormity of the video board and roof.
Kish said the video board, which spans sideline to sideline and just beyond each end zone, is the first double-sided screen in the NFL. But a special feature within the board aims to bring fans closer to the action.
"On the bottom, there's going to be a strip of surround-sound mesh that goes underneath the bottom that will be able to project stadiums. As opposed to typical stadiums that project sound from the end or the corners, this is going to project from the middle."
The roof's construction is the first of its kind. It will actually be built separate from the stadium itself and will rest on top, allowing air to flow through. The concept is something unique to Southern California.
"The thought process is, you're sitting there on a sunny, breezed, Southern California afternoon. Whether you're having a meal on the patio or drinks under the umbrella, that feeling is going to be replicated throughout most of the stadium because it is an open-air stadium. The only doors (are) in certain aspects in some of the premium areas and some of the underground areas. Outside of that, it's meant to be that free-form, open-aired opportunity."
While 2020 is still a few years away, seeing the model, renderings, and actual seats up close makes it hard for Dean Spanos not to look ahead with excitement about both the experience of LASED and the future of the Chargers.
"We still have a ways to go, but I think the end product here is going to be something special for the people of Los Angeles and the people of the world to see. This is going to be a world-class venue, and we're excited to be a part of it."
Take a look inside the new SoFi Stadium Premiere Center, which provides an interactive first glimpse of the new stadium and surrounding entertainment city in Inglewood.
