Five design firms have been shortlisted to develop the proposed US$1bn stadium for the Atlanta Falcons American football team in Atlanta, US.

Olympic stadium designers Populous are among the finalist to be chosen by the Georgia World Congress Centre Authority (GWCCA), which owns the site.

The other architectural firms include Philadelphia-based EwingCole, Dallas-based HKS, Atlanta-based tvsdesign (in partnership with Heery International and Gensler), and Kansas City-based 360 Architecture.

All of the firms have been involved in high-profile sports and entertainment projects.

The winning designer will get a fee based on a percentage of a $700m construction budget.

The chosen finalists will be asked to prepare proposals that include the first conceptual designs of the stadium.

Spanning 1.8m sq ft (167,225sq m), the stadium, which will feature a retractable roof, is scheduled to open in 2017.

The new stadium will be owned by the authority and operated by the Falcons under a 30-year agreement.