Bills Set New High Mark
Buffalo Moves Goal Posts with Latest NFL Stadium Unveiling
The NFL is back with another season! The 2026-27 campaign kicked off with the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks hosting the New England Patriots, followed by the league’s first-ever visit to Australia when the Los Angeles Rams clashed with the San Francisco 49ers. Plenty of headlines to go around, including the league’s newest venue on the east coast.
In August of ‘26 more than 51,000 fans gathered in the Buffalo Bills’ brand-new Highmark Stadium to watch the Return of the Blue & Red scrimmage. The number of attendees shattered the previous record for the event. And for good reason! We think it’s fair to say the Bills have been one of the most successful teams of the last decade.
By the time he was relieved of his duties following a playoff loss to the Denver Broncos following the 2025 season, former head coach Sean McDermott boasted a 98-50 record—a .662 winning percentage and the 15th best in NFL history. He coached seven consecutive double-digit-win seasons and eight playoff appearances.
So, the Bills have been doing great things. Their former stadium, however, opened in 1973. By the 2000s, it was aging to the point of being below the team’s standards. So new coach (Joe Brady), new stadium. The franchise partnered with Populous to design an entirely new complex that would feel unmistakably Buffalo while delivering a more modern, intimate, and weather-conscious game-day experience.
The resulting 60,000-seat open-air venue draws on the strength and resilience of both the city and its fan base. Its steep seating bowl brings spectators closer to the field, while a 360-degree canopy follows the bowl’s curves to cover about 60% of the stadium without sealing Buffalo’s famous weather out of the experience.
That balance between protection and openness continues across the exterior. Repeated vertical fins form a monumental colonnade around the stadium, while perforated metal screens help temper wind and precipitation.
Louvers supplied by CS support that same idea: essential airflow and weather performance integrated into a carefully composed façade. We provided storm-resistant and extreme weather louver models, RS-5900 and RS-3700, respectively, to meet changing airflow and free-area targets while keeping the solution economical and within budget.
Other details reinforce Highmark Stadium’s connection to its location. Iron-spot brick grounds the base in Buffalo’s architectural character, and the Family Circle plaza welcomes visitors with a sculpture of American bison. Inside, advanced heating and the world’s largest snowmelt system, expansive concourses, and modern amenities prepare the venue for long Western New York winters.
Highmark Stadium is more than a replacement for an aging facility. It is a new landmark built around the identity of the Bills, the intensity of their fans, and the realities of the local climate. Maybe the excitement of a new home will translate to enough wins for the Bills to play in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi, another of our stadium projects.