Providence Park to host 2021 MLS Cup Final

Providence Park to Host 2021 MLS Cup Final

Fortress. Wonderland. Cathedral. A "House of Horrors" for opposing teams—Portland’s landmark stadium has gone by many aliases over its 95-year history, and Providence Park was all of these and more last Saturday, when the Timbers earned their right to host the MLS Cup Final at home for the first time in the club’s history.

The Cup Final, featuring the Timbers vs. Eastern Conference Champions NYCFC, will be held this Saturday, December 11th at 12PM PT / 3PM ET and broadcast nationally on ABC and Univision.

For an inside look at the history, inspiration, and design development of Providence Park, we invite you to take a look at our project workbook here.

Allied Works has a long history with the Portland Timbers, Thorns FC and parent company Peregrine Sports, having designed their first training facility in 2010, and after the Timbers’ first MLS Cup victory in 2015, working with club leadership to design and realize a major Eastside Expansion. Completed in 2019 and comprised of a new street level concourse and three new tiers of seating on a compact urban site, the expansion brings the stadium’s capacity over 25,000 seats, and provides a new identity and civic presence to Providence Park.

In the words of Allied Works Founding Principal and Lead Designer Brad Cloepfil, the Eastside Expansion is “a near vertical wall of sound and energy, adding to the already legendary atmosphere of Providence Park.” And now, it will be the stage set for one of the most important soccer matches on the continent.

Here’s to many more in the years to come.

Photos by: Jeremy Bittermann, Craig Mitchelldyer