In 1966 American businessman David Dixon aimed at bringing NFL to New Orleans and Saw a new downtown stadium as one of the most important incentives to offer. He thus showed the Louisiana governor Astrodome in Houston and convinced authorities that a stadium like that might be a great solution for New Orleans.

This one was to dwarf the Astrodome, not only being able to hold various large-scale events, but also being the single largest permanent dome worldwide. Detailed design was created in 1967 by local architects Curtis and Davis. The dome was to span over 210 meters and reach 83 meters at its peak.

Groundbreaking took place in August 1971 and construction took four years. In the process it proved to be much more of a burden to have a dome that large than initially expected as the budget grew three times.

Over the years the stadium didn’t just house most important games of New Orleans Saints, but also saw wrestling, basketball, boxing, concerts and even a movie premiere. The most unexpected use came in 2005, when some 30,000 citizens used the stadium as shelter during the Katrina hurricane.

The catastrophe saw stadium’s roof seriously damaged and resulted in Superdome’s closure. After debates whether to renovate it or demolish altogether to make way for a new stadium it was decided that Superdome will receive a makeover.

First phase was carried out in 2008 and saw the stadium’s structure regenerated and improved. Then in 2009-2010 the exterior received an elegant aluminum cladding that increased the aesthetics. Infrastructure upgrades came in 2011, but the stadium retained its three tiers with amazing seating layout and roof structure.

As works were done, the stadium received its first ever naming rights deal in 2011, with Mercedes-Benz.