What makes CPKC Stadium a landmark design for women’s sports?

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has steadily grown for years, expanding its schedule to include about 200 matches per season and adding several new franchises that bring its team count to 16.

But most of those teams play in stadiums built for men’s teams. The Kansas City Current is different. The team’s arena—CPKC Stadium—stands on the banks of the Berkley Riverfront in Kansas City, Mo., as the first purpose-built stadium for any women’s professional sports team in the world. The venue opened two and a half years ago, and since then, KC Current has sold out every match in their 11,500-seat home.

Much like CPKC Stadium itself, the design process was quite unique, according to Christina Franklin, who is the director of interior design at Generator Studio (the stadium’s architect of record). Franklin shared the following insights.

1.  From day one, the stadium was designed around women athletes and their fans 

Unlike the stadiums many women’s teams play in, CPKC Stadium wasn’t retrofitted or designed to be shared among men’s and women’s squads. It was conceived by KC Current owners Angie and Chris Long as a new, custom venue specifically for KC Current’s players, fans, and gameday routines. The team suite includes a 24-player locker room, dedicated coaches’ areas, and spaces for hydrotherapy, medical training, warmups, and flexible nutrition—all purpose-built for women athletes.

“We were treating these female athletes like professional athletes and considering their needs from day one,” Franklin said.

After years of playing on other teams, often in facilities poorly adapted to club brand identities and logistical needs, KC Current’s top-tier athletes finally entered a venue made just for them in March 2024.

“For many of these athletes, it was the first time in their careers they had walked into a space and recognized that it had been designed specifically with them in mind—not adapted for them, not borrowed from someone else, but truly theirs,” Franklin reflected.

Generator Studio also carefully considered circulation, restroom counts, lighting, and wayfinding to create a safer, more comfortable environment for a fanbase that includes a large share of women and families. The stadium’s amenities and design features are all intended to make the venue feel welcoming and intuitive. 

“The owners really took into consideration that every fan [should] be able to have a great experience,” Franklin said, underscoring the collaboration between the ownership team and design team.

2. The design evolved alongside the club’s identity in real time

Founded in 2020, KC Current was still defining itself as an organization while the stadium was taking shape, and that evolving identity became a central part of the design process. Generator Studio also worked on the club’s training facility at the same time, which offered space to test ideas, respond to feedback quickly, and understand how the club wanted to operate. That early collaboration established trust between the client and design team and created a shared rhythm that carried directly into the stadium.

Designing two projects at once also gave Generator Studio confidence in the direction they were taking. The training facility opened first, allowing the team to refine their approach and be even more intentional and ambitious with decisions for the stadium. The dual project relationship became the foundation for how CPKC Stadium ultimately found its form.

“Because we were designing the projects in tandem, there was this constant feedback loop between them. We could see how an idea was being received in one space, learn from it almost immediately, and carry those lessons into decisions we were making on the other. The projects were really informing and strengthening each other in real time,” Franklin said.

3. The stadium’s architectural form is inspired by the Missouri River and rooted in Kansas City

From the earliest design conversations, Generator Studio knew the stadium needed to feel deeply tied to Kansas City. The owners and designers alike wanted to avoid a generic venue that could be dropped into any market. Its riverfront location meant that the Missouri River was natural design anchor, and the club’s name, KC Current, reinforces that connection. The stadium’s sculptural roofline mirrors the flow of the river and the dynamism of the Current’s brand.

“We wanted to mimic some of those water components, so the roofline dips down and is kind of flowing like a current,” Franklin explained. 

The roof lowers intentionally over the club supporters’ section, then lifts toward the city to frame views of downtown. Its open corners were a deliberate move to celebrate the stadium’s urban context.

“You intrinsically know you’re in Kansas City. You get a remarkable view of downtown from inside the stadium,” Franklin said.

4. Hospitality design principles shaped the stadium experience

Responding to the growing shift toward experience districts and fan centered environments, Generator Studio approached CPKC as a place where fans could spend time eating, socializing, and celebrating. They designed clubs, suites, lounges, and social zones that offer a unique and elevated version of experiences they could have at restaurants or sports bars. 

“We wanted the stadium to feel deeply rooted in hospitality without ever losing the energy and authenticity of the game. The goal wasn’t to make it feel like a hotel or restaurant; it was to take the things hospitality does really well, like comfort, warmth, intuitiveness, and a sense of welcome, and bring those qualities into a sports environment,” Franklin said, who drew on her background in hospitality design.

That approach is especially evident in the stadium’s premium spaces, where the design takes cues from Kansas City’s Art Deco heritage without interpreting it too literally. Geometric forms, layered patterns, and rich materials reference the city’s architectural character in a more contemporary way.

“Those references gave us a vocabulary to build from and helped create spaces that feel warm, layered and elevated, while still belonging in a stadium,” according to Franklin.

5. Every seat is close to the field, creating unmatched energy and engagement

KC Current leadership and Generator Studio wanted fans to feel physically and emotionally close to the action, so they championed the design of a compact bowl for CPCK Stadium. By creating a tightened footprint and pulling seating closer to the field than traditional soccer stadiums, the design produces a visceral connection between players and attendees. 

“No seat is more than 95 feet from the pitch, so there’s an intimacy to the stadium that you feel even at the top of the bowl. You’re not just watching the game from a distance—you feel connected to it, to the players and to the energy on the field,” Franklin said.

The intimacy intensifies the stadium’s energy, especially in the supporters’ section, where the roofline dip helps amplify crowd noise and create a unified wall of sound. The venue is a place where fans feel embedded in the match rather than observing from a distance—a defining characteristic of KC Current match days that has helped build a loyal fanbase that frequently returns. 

6. Despite just opening, CPKC Stadium is shaping the future of women’s sports infrastructure

The impact of CPKC Stadium is already extending far beyond Kansas City. Since its opening, Generator Studio has been approached by multiple women’s sports organizations seeking guidance on how to design purpose-built facilities of their own. The stadium demonstrates that investing in women’s sports architecture is not only culturally significant but commercially viable.

“CPKC Stadium showed the world that women’s sports infrastructure can be considered on its own terms,” Franklin said.

As NWSL and other women’s leagues grow, CPKC Stadium exemplifies how women’s sports teams don’t necessarily have to coexist in facilities built for men’s sports. They can have environments shaped specifically around their athletes, fans, and team identities.

“We wanted CPKC Stadium to set a precedent not just for what a women’s sports venue could be but for what athletes and fans should expect from the places built for them,” Franklin said. “That’s what makes it so meaningful to see young girls in the stands watching women compete on this stage. They’re not being asked to imagine what’s possible—they can see themselves in it.”

At the upcoming AIA Women’s Leadership Summit, Franklin and collaborators will share more about CPKC during the “Designed by Women, Built for Women” panel. Summit attendees will also be able take a tour of the stadium. Both events will take place on Tuesday, November 3. Check out the WLS schedule and register today. 

Kathleen M. O’Donnell is a freelance writer, editor, and communications strategist based in Washington, D.C. She is committed to telling stories that provide useful insights to architects and designers and highlight the impact of their work.