Bills Central

Buffalo Bills New Look: Unveiling of Stadium - First Renderings

The Buffalo Bills' new dwelling, set to succeed Highmark Stadium, is on pace for a 2026 opening.

Geoff Maggliocchetti

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The Buffalo Bills have made their visions for the future, namely those of a championship variety, quite clear. On Thursday, they unveiled the first look at the battleground where those battles toward the Super Bowl will be staged.

Buffalo has released the first renderings of what's currently labeled "New Bills Stadium" on its media channels, showcasing a massive, open-air site in Orchard Park that will sit across the street from their current home of Highmark Stadium. Large buffalo sculptures will be on hand to greet fans upon entry with the lack of roof allowing Buffalo to keep its homefield advantage in the infamous Western New York winters. 

The new stadium is being designed alongside the architectural firm Populous, which has also partaken in the design of several other NFL dwellings, including those of Buffalo's divisional rivals in Miami (Hard Rock Stadium) and New England (Gillette Stadium). 

Locally, Populous has also designed Sahlen Field (the downtown Buffalo home of the AAA-level Buffalo Bisons and temporary site of MLB's Toronto Blue Jays) and the Pegula-owned LECOM Harborcenter that houses Canisius University's hockey team as well as the Buffalo Sabres' NHL practice rinks. They also partook in the 2014 renovations of Highmark Stadium, then known as Ralph Wilson Stadium.

"The Bills, in conjunction with Legends and stadium architectural firm Populous, have left no stone unturned in covering every innovative element of new stadium design," a statement on the Bills' official site reads. "The exterior stadium image highlights the team's desire for a visual identity that reflects some of the historical architecture of Buffalo, while also delivering a modern appearance."

The Bills return to Orchard Park this weekend, battling the Green Bay Packers in a Sunday night showdown (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC). 

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags 

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Geoff Maggliocchetti
GEOFF MAGGLIOCCHETTI

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