Whether you’re a lifelong fan of America’s Team or a Dallas hater, the new 100,000-seat Cowboys Stadium — the largest NFL arena ever built — is pigskin’s new mecca.

By Brendan Spiegel

Raw Materials: To build the 3-million-square-foot stadium required 20,000 tons of steel — almost as much as it took to craft the Chrysler Building. The supporting arches alone are a quarter-mile long, and each weighs more than three tons.
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The View from Above
The dome’s 660,000-square-foot retractable roof (the largest ever built) can extend the length of the entire field in 12 minutes. When it’s open, it replicates the iconic design of the old Texas Stadium roof.

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Pregame Heaven
For pregame concerts and entertainment, the stadium has 15 acres of parklike plazas behind the end zones. And thanks to 120-foot-high retractable doors, the ticketless will be able to take in the games here via the video board.
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The Jerry-Tron
The 600-ton video board — the first hung in the center of an NFL stadium — includes four HD screens. The two sideline screens are the largest ever made, reaching from one 20-yard line to the other. Let’s hope another punt doesn’t ding it, eh Jer?

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The Miller Lite Club: It’s 10,000 square feet and loaded with drinks and flatscreens. But the best amenity is location: The Cowboys run by to and from the field, and you can watch the team’s postgame press conferences in person. A downside: It’s restricted to luxury-suite ticket holders.

Refreshments: Concession stands now serve up margaritas and craft beers. On the menu: green chili–topped Kobe beef burgers and jalapeño-Jack cheesesteak sandwiches.

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Four Questions for the Architect

Mark Williams talks about why this $1.15 billion colossus is for more than sports fans.

MJ: What sets this stadium apart from others?

MW: In addition to all the features inside, we thought a lot about the experience outside. We wanted to create a stadium that grabs you from the moment you see it. Going all the way back to the Colosseum in Rome, big stadiums have been social gathering spaces. We wanted to make a place people want to visit, whether they like the Cowboys or not.

MJ: Why do you need a massive video board?

MW: Everyone has these huge HDTV screens at home now, which makes for a very compelling reason not to go to a game. In most stadiums, the screens are in the corners. We wanted to put them front and center, so no matter where you are in the stadium, the proportions and view are better than at home, even if you have a 50-inch.

MJ: Can you see the action from every seat?

MW: The arches allowed us to build the roof with no columns — the bowl is the largest column-free room in the world, so there are no obstructed views. For a basketball game we can add in extra field-level seating, but in tiers so it won’t block the views farther back.

MJ: So what’s the best seat in the house?

MW: There’s a row of suites right behind the 50-yard line where you’re literally on the field, almost like in a baseball dugout. You’re right behind the coach as he’s yelling into his headset. But we call the level of suites 20 rows up the sweet spot. That’s the best view.
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Beyond Sundays

A sports shrine this grandiose can’t be used just once a week. For a better chance of getting inside, try one of these upcoming non-Cowboy events:

Oct. 3: Arkansas vs. Texas A&M football game
Oct. 12: U2′s 360° Tour
Nov. 28: Baylor vs. Texas Tech football game
Dec. 5: Big 121 conference championship
Dec. 19: North Carolina vs. Texas hoops
Jan. 2: AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic
Feb. 14: NBA All-Star Game