Salesianum School

Abessinio Stadium

“High School Football Stadium Connecting Community”

Crawford Architects assisted the private, all-boys Catholic Salesianum School with preliminary planning documents to help secure a transformative, public-private partnership with the City of Wilmington. The project reimagined the venerated, 100-year-old complex in historic Brandywine Park, formerly known as Baynard Stadium.

The 14-acre site is centered on a 20,000 square foot stadium. After the agreement was completed, a fast-track design process commenced involving the design team, the school, the city, Delaware State Parks, and local community groups. The complex continues to serve local school and community athletics groups as well as the general public. Given the increased size and amenities, the project allows significant expansion of the functionality and usage time, compared to the previous facility.

The stadium is equipped with an artificial turf field, a state-of-the-art track, team locker rooms, VIP Suite, video scoreboard, concessions, and other resources that enable the site to be configured to best meet athletic and special event needs. With a seated capacity of four thousand, and the ability to host over 5000 with standing room, the stadium is a significant upgrade for both the school and the community.

CLIENT

Salesianum School

LOCATION

Wilmington, DE

SIZE

20,000 square feet, 4,000-seat stadium

EXPERTISE

Architecture, Stadiums & Arenas

Architectural Partner: ABHA Architects