Why is qwest field so loud

The parabolic shape of the roof redirects sound back towards the field of play. It also has a cantilever construction that keeps sound swirling around the lower level.

The Hawks Nest is filled with about 40 rows of aluminum bleachers, which helps amplify noise when the fans stomp on the bleachers. Given all the advantages the construction of the stadium provides, you have to wonder how the NFL approved the design.

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Subscriber Account active since. It set the noise record for an outdoor stadium back in December, and every time the Seahawks have a nationally televised game the sideline reporter brings a decibel reader and compares the noise level to that of a jet engine. Paul Greisemer, the architectural director who designed the stadium for AECOM, says it comes down to three factors — the roof, the closed quarters, and the materials.

The fact that it is loud is really kind of a result of a number of things that came about just through the design. It's on a very small site, comparatively to other stadiums, and because of that we had to compress the building very tightly. Fans are closer to the field than they are in most any NFL stadium today. So that combined with the desire to have a large roof covering, so fans are protected, really kind of combined the greatest of convergence of storms into a great environment.

He also said the curvature of the roof, along with the materials the stadium is made of — metal and concrete — reflect the sound better:. As is the seating bowl which is largely concrete. So there are a lot of those materials that are serving as sound mirrors, if you will, and bouncing the sound right back. As is the seating bowl which is largely concrete.

So there are a lot of those materials that are serving as sound mirrors, if you will, and bouncing the sound right back," Greisemer said. Greisemer said that making crowd noise such a factor as the stadium was taken into consideration when it was built. The fact that it is loud is really kind of a result of a number of things that came about just through the design. It's on a very small site, comparatively to other stadiums, and because of that we had to compress the building very tightly," Greisemer said.

So that combined with the desire to have a large roof covering, so fans are protected, really kind of combined the greatest of convergence of storms into a great environment. The noise on the field has been compared to that of standing next to a jet engine, making it very difficult for players on offense to communicate with their teammates, leading to false start and delay of game penalties.