First Impressions Of The Vikings Stadium Design
By Adam Carlson
Dec 30, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; A general view of Mall of America Field at the Metrodome prior to the game between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
This season will be your final chance to attend a Vikings game at the Mall of America field. After this season, the Vikings will play at TCF Bank Stadium, the home of the Golden Gophers while their new stadium is built. Today, the Vikings unveiled the plans to the new multi-purpose stadium in Minnesota and we finally got the details. There are some mixed reactions.
Many fans are disappointed that the plans do not include a retractable roof, but the designers have other ideas that may actually be better. First of all, fans in Minnesota will not have to worry about the roof collapsing ever again. The sturdy structure is angled so that snow and ice will not accumulate on the roof. Speaking of the roof, those that wanted natural light in the stadium should also be happy. Plans include half of the roof to be transparent, and will allow natural light to shine through to the inside of the stadium. In addition to the natural lighting, the sunlight will provide natural heating for the stadium. What if it gets too hot? Well, the new stadium will have five 95-foot-tall retractable doors to allow the natural flow of air throughout the building.
If you don’t like the color of the metal in the stadium, just wait a little bit. Seriously, the color of the material will change in different lighting because of the zinc allow that is used. The designs on the side of the building can be changed easily to accommodate for whatever function is currently being held there.
Some people don’t like the strange shapes that adorn the outside of the stadium, but there’s a reason for that. It is built to withstand the harsh winters in Minnesota. Those who are more creative may see a different inspiration in the design though. You can see where the building is meant to look like the prow of a ship, in homage to the football team who will play within.
The 1.6 million square foot stadium will seat 65,000 people and have several huge screens. It will connect to the skywalk for easier travel and have a large area for people to gather before the game outside. Most important to a lot of fans, there will be more bathrooms and gone are the “troughs” that made those bathrooms an eyesore.
Although some folks will be skeptical of the new design, they should still be excited about a lot of the features the new stadium offers. In the meantime, they should try to enjoy Mall of America Field this year and hope that the Vikings can finish their run in that stadium with a lot of success!