Feature

49ers to address sunlight issues at Levi’s Stadium

NFL American football franchise the San Francisco 49ers is planning on addressing weather-related issues encountered by fans during games at the Levi’s Stadium.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper, the team has engaged a stadium architecture firm to “review a number of aspects of the stadium with the goal of enhancing the fan experience … to investigate feasible solutions to address concerns regarding warm weather days, both for the short and long terms.”

During the 49ers’ 23-3 home defeat against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, temperatures reached 87 degrees, which, as the Chronicle points out, can lead to an uncomfortable viewing experience for supporters not sitting in a shaded area of Levi’s Stadium.

Chronicle reporter Ann Killion posted a picture of the stadium’s sparsely populated east side during the game on Twitter, and the image quickly spread online. The shaded area of the 68,500-seat stadium was said to be packed, however.

The Chronicle’s report said that Kansas City-based Populous will work with the team on a solution to the problem.

The 49ers’ NFL rival the Miami Dolphins last year installed a canopy at Hard Rock Stadium to provide shaded cover to more than 92 per cent of fans, and a similar model could be considered at Levi’s Stadium.

Image: Jim Bahn