Allianz Field is slated to be completed next year, though construction already is halfway doneMINNESOTA UNITED FC
Mortenson Co. will soon start wrapping the facade of Allianz Field in St. Paul with a "super fabric" that helps keep out the Minnesota elements. It is a centerpiece design element in the $300M stadium for Minnesota United, said Mortenson Construction Exec Greg Huber. The facade skin is made of the Teflon-like material polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE. The same facade will be illuminated via lights with changing colors. “The illuminated facade harkens to the Northern Lights,” Huber said. The tinsel fabric installation starts May 15. Huber said this is a one-of-a-kind architectural feature for a sports venue to be completely wrapped in PTFE. The installation will take four months. The USTA used a form of PTFE for a new roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium in N.Y. The same fabric was used to cover an area adjacent to TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. Huber said the facade skin is opaque enough to be bird-safe, an issue that has plagued the Vikings' U.S. Bank Stadium. The 19,400-seat soccer-specific stadium is slated to be completed next year, though construction already is halfway done. The stadium includes some sustainability features including a rainwater collection system from the canopy that funnels water into a 685,000-gallon collection tank. Water will be used for areas surrounding the stadium.
