Date of Submission
Spring 5-12-2026
Degree Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Architecture
Department
Architecture
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Sang Pil Lee
Abstract
This thesis explores an architectural approach to addressing temporary population increases caused by large sporting events through flexible, prefabricated structures that adapt to varying sites and programmatic needs. The project is situated in the context of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, where host cities face significant pressure to accommodate short-term population surges. Typically, cities invest heavily in roads, transit, and hotels to support these events which are then abandoned or underutilized after events. While cities such as London 2012 Olympic Games and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games leveraged existing, mature transit networks to absorb this increased demand, many U.S. cities remain are car-dependent and lack the capacity to do so efficiently. In Atlanta, Georgia, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the center of sports entertainment, meaning the downtown area will be the epicenter for visitors. This project explores the possibilities of adapting to existing MARTA stations as sites for temporary densification. By upcycling shipping containers to accommodate the population, they can be a proposal for a network system across multiple locations that reduces reliance on automobiles while extending the capacity of the city’s transit infrastructure. The research proposes a system of modularity, integration, and upcycling, as strategies to enable rapid assembly, disassembly, and reuse across multiple sites and event cycles. Precedent studies including Centraal Beheer and Container Park in Kuwait, inform approaches to incremental growth, adaptability, and system integration. By positioning temporary architecture as an extension of urban infrastructure rather than a disposable solution, this proposes a more resilient model for event-based urbanism.