Stadium build thread

[Funkytown]

I didn't think it was large enough to host a SB game?

Where did y'all get this idea that the new stadium couldn't host a Super Bowl? I highly doubt any city would want to build a new stadium that could never host the big game. That seems foolish.

From Kare 11 (in February):

In fact, the last two Super Bowl games, which were in Indianapolis and Dallas, both had new stadiums and both were designed by architect firm HKS Sports & Entertainment Group, the same group that the Vikings have chosen for their new stadium.

The last time Minneapolis hosted the big game was in 1992 at the Metrodome. A lot has changed since then, new hotels have sprung up, new shopping centers and now a new stadium.

"The new stadium that we're building is being built to accommodate the Super Bowl specifically," Michele Kelm-Helgen, chairperson for the sports facilities authority, said.

Minneapolis will be competing with cities like Denver and Seattle. During a visit to the Metrodome in October NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hinted that Minneapolis could host a Super Bowl game in either 2018 or 2019.

[Eli]

Expandable to 73,000 to accommodate a Super Bowl, but what happens in 10 or 15 years should the NFL decide that the minimum seating capacity for a Super Bowl is 85,000?

If this is going to be such an amazing stadium/experience, I find it a little bit amazing that a new stadium built to open 34 years after the old one will have roughly the same capacity due to fear of being unable to sell out a larger stadium.

[Funkytown]

I find it a little bit amazing that a new stadium built to open 34 years after the old one will have roughly the same capacity due to fear of being unable to sell out a larger stadium.

...is that so?

Seems like a foolish fear to have. maybe some teams should downsize their stadiums next time around then. lol

[nightowl]

I think the model for the New Stadium looks great! The Clear ETFE roof section is an interesting, out of the box thinking way to bring a little bit of the outdoors to an indoors stadium. I remember watching a show a while back that focused on the building of the "Water Cube" in Beijing for the Olympics. It looks like a pretty cool material, and it will give the Vikings and the state a Party Piece Stadium to show off.

However, like others have already brought up, the first thing I thought of was the Snow collapse at the Dome. Out of curiosity I googled it to see if I could find info on the material. I found one thing that is mildly concerning.
The same material was used to build part of the roof at BC Place stadium in Vancouver, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BC_Place. In 2007 the had a few problems with deflation and had to replaced the ETFE with a retractable roof.
from the link

2007 roof deflation
On January 5, 2007, a tear occurred in the roof's ETFE fabric close to Gate G on the south side where the roof meets the top of the concrete bowl. The tear grew quickly as air escaped through it, whereupon maintenance staff performed an intentional, controlled deflation to protect the integrity of the roof's intact fabric panels. As it was designed to do, the deflated roof rested on its steel support cables 6 metres (20 ft) above the seating and the field. Normally, the roof had a rise of 27 metres (90 ft) above the top of the bowl when inflated. No one was injured during the incident, although rain and melted snow flooded the bowl and subsequently had to be pumped out.

An independent report indicated that an accidental rapid pressurization combined with lightly gusting wind and a location of previously undetected damage caused the tear. The damaged panel was replaced with a temporary one on January 19 and the roof was re-inflated. The BC Contractors Association held an exhibition in the stadium over the week of January 23, during which the roof leaked in several places when it rained. The temporary panel was successfully replaced with a permanent one in June 2007.

later in the article under Renovation.

In May 16, 2008, it was announced that over $150 million in major renovations would be carried out on BC Place Stadium. These included seating replacements, washroom and concessions renovations, and replacement of the ETFE roof with a new retractable roof.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETFE

[Eli]

That's interesting. I had assumed the ETFE panels were rigid, like a hard plastic, but it appears that the individual panels are air-inflated at a low pressure. The whole roof wouldn't be held aloft with air pressure like the Metrodome or BC Place, but it does appear that the panels could deflate or leak.

[bigskyeric]

You don't like it?

Wow. I'm shocked.

Me too... never saw that coming

[bigskyeric]

If the Vikings would have got the deal in Arden Hills, the stadium would have been bigger. And Im guessing it's only this size is because they wanna have more room for tailgating. Oh and that glass wont break. That glass is not like the type of glass you see in our homes, cars, and churches. In today's world they can make glass that doesn't break as easily.

The foot print is roughly twice the size of the metrodome.

[Demi]

Me too... never saw that coming

Some homer posting about other posters and not the topic at hand. Equally as shocking.

[dead_poet]

I'm waiting for the animal rights activists to weigh in...



This stadium is going to kill more birds than Audie Cole on a dove hunting trip.

Because of the motion-activated turrets? Or, like, teams like the Eagles, Falcons and Ravens.

[Purple bruise]

I'm waiting for the animal rights activists to weigh in...



This stadium is going to kill more birds than Audie Cole on a dove hunting trip.

Now that was funny

[The Breeze]

The largest source of human-related bird death is due to glass windows, which kill 100-900 million birds a year.The next largest sources of human caused death are hunting (100+ million), house cats (100 million),

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_conservation


if Cole gets some playing time his nickname could be "Housecat".....Audie Housecat Cole pounces on the fumble and takes it to the house.

[dead_poet]

Suggest reading the whole thing.

New Vikings Stadium Q&A: Roof's Impact On The Game Day Experience

John Larson – What can you do to get rid of shadowing on the field?

Shadowing will exist but we expect it to be very minimal. Along with the ETFE defusing sunlight, the steel support structure underneath the ETFE is much smaller and lighter than large trusses that span the length of the stadium, causing smaller shadows. HKS has prepared sun studies to better understand this issue. It is an important one for all parties, and we are confident shadows will not be an issue for players or fans.

http://prod.www.vikings.clubs.nfl.com/n ... 4efa6b401a

Link to first stadium Q&A: http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/N ... f03827bbe7

[The Breeze]

One thing that I really think will be a huge plus for the team is how much natural light they will be exposed to as a result of the design. It may sound a little wonky, but I think it will drastically improve their success in outdoor stadiums down the road.

It would be interesting to see some stats on outdoor teams' records in Domes and vice versa.

[King James]

Im glad they didnt waste money on a retractable roof. I think their are rules that say that the weather has to be at a certain temp in order for the roof to be open during the game. And from what I seen, it doesn't get too warm in Minnesota and the NFL wouldn't allow us to have an open roof if the temperature is below 20 degrees.

[Eli]

Turns out, there’ll be no big bang.

Instead, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome will be torn down piece by piece once the Minnesota Vikings finish out their final NFL season in the downtown Minneapolis venue.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikin ... 25241.html