9. Qualcomm Stadium – San Diego

I’m going to assume that the designers of Qualcomm/Jack Murphy Stadium thought to themselves during the design process, “The weather in San Diego will be the real star of the show. Let’s do the bare minimum with regards to stadium design.”
It’s architectural style is often referred to as “cookie-cutter,” which is never a good sign. As the above picture of Qualcomm demonstrates, what they lack in interesting design, they more than make up for in spiral-ly ramps. I just don’t understand why so many older stadiums adopted this feature. The spiral ramp completely kills any architectural resonance on the outside of the stadium. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t tell the difference between this stadium and Miami’s in a million years, all cause of those stupid ramps.
Once again, the limitations of a dual-use stadium become apparent at “The Q,” where both football and former baseball fans were kept very far away from the action on the field. It’s the worst of both worlds.
Fortunately, the NFL has cracked the whip and said that if San Diego, a frequent Super Bowl host city, wants to host the game again, they will have to pony up for a new stadium. Even extensive renovations wouldn’t cut it. Here’s to hoping they pony up for a new home.

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