The Green Bay Packers had a vision to create a sports-anchored development next to Lambeau Field that not only captures the passion of Packers fans, but also promotes flexible year-round programming throughout each season and time of day. The Titletown District development, designed by ROSSETTI, was envisioned to focus on the vibrancy of the public realm, allowing the commercial elements play a supporting role. A unique element of the master plan is the ROSSETTI-designed two-story sledding hill that becomes the hub of activities within the park and central to the placemaking aspirations for the district development.
Designed to draw people in throughout the year, Ariens Hill was envisioned as a piece of earth pushed upward on a crystalline block of permafrost ice, embodying the idea of the Frozen Tundra that inspired it. During winter months, Ariens Hill’s slope becomes a sledding hill that passes over a skating pond and trail that were designed with the building to meander beneath the structure. In warmer seasons, the hill becomes an inclined lawn facing the stadium that can be used for concerts and recreation while the skating area below becomes a public plaza. A café, retail shop, ice-skating rental, and leasable event space are programmed inside the building, strengthening activity in the district year-round.
In addition to the location-specific design parti, the building materials were selected for their connection to the area. Local Fon du Lac stone cladding and indigenous white cedar were primary building materials both inside and out. The two-story pavilion appears to float above the plaza as a result of the integral indoor/outdoor recessed slot lighting and the uniformity of the white cedar ceiling. Rain screen cladding that evokes the memory of wood siding from a weathered cabin in a Wisconsin forest was also used to further reinforce the connection to nature and the outdoors that is so important to the region. As a winner of several awards, Ariens Hill’s multi-use, multi-seasonal nature has been well received by the Green Bay community.
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