US BANK STADIUM
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
Capacity: 66,860 (expandable to 73,000)
Tenants: Minnesota Vikings (NFL), Minnesota Golden Gophers (NCAA)
Opened: July 2016
With a median winter temperature of 10°F (-12°C) , Minneapolis is no stranger to the perils of heavy snow and seasonally
long winters. As a result, its new stadium joined one of only three existing fixed-roof venues in the NFL.
Its design was driven by a desire to bring as much natural light into the bowl as possible and recreate
an outdoors atmosphere inside. Consequently, 60% of its roof is made up of a huge 237,000ft²
(22,000m²) expanse of transparent Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) – the largest single span
in North America, which gives the feel of being outdoors within the comfort of a climatecontrolled
environment.
The weather also played a role in its form as the roofline is pitched at
13-degrees to create a steep slanted face able to slide away the weight of
heavy snow. The design – inspired by ice formations on nearby St.
Anthony’s Falls as well as Scandinavian vernacular architecture
– takes the snow into a heated gutter, which then drains
into the Mississippi River.
The US$1.1bn stadium is nearly twice the
footprint of the Vikings’ former venue at
1.75-million ft² (162,580m²) and
achieved LEED gold status for
its commitment to
sustainable design.
20 BEST BUILDS
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