U.S. Bank Stadium Revealing True and Redefining Sustainability, a Mixed-Use Stadium Basks in Connecting With the People
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
The Challenge
To create a stadium that connects and celebrates the history and character of Minnesota, offering an unparalleled fan experience inside the stadium while considering the region’s cold climate and driving economic development in the surrounding neighborhood.
The Design Solution
Home to the Minnesota Vikings NFL team, U.S. Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose venue known as “The People’s Stadium.” HKS designed the building to reflect the culture, climate and context of the city, drawing inspiration from ice formations on nearby St. Anthony’s Falls as well as Scandinavian design such as Viking longboats. The stadium provides Minneapolis with a year-round venue for concerts, baseball, high school and college athletics, conventions, festivals and more, driving economic and real estate development in the city. Two of the stadium’s notable design innovations include The Legacy Gate, comprised of five, pivoting glass doors ranging from 75 to 95 feet tall, and the first ETFE roof in a U.S. stadium. When open, The Legacy Gate connects the stadium to its adjacent urban plaza. The translucent ETFE roof withstands the brutal weather of Minneapolis’ climate, while flooding the interior with natural daylight, creating the feeling of being outdoors without subjecting players or fans to the elements.
The Design Impact
Since U.S. Bank Stadium opened in 2016, more than $2 billion in private and public investment has been injected into its surrounding neighborhood, according to Minneapolis’ East Town Business Partnership.
While serving as a living room for Twin Cities residents, U.S. Bank Stadium has gained the attention of major sports leagues and fans alike. In 2018, the stadium hosted the first “Zero Waste” Super Bowl, recycling more than 90% of gameday waste, and in 2019 and 2022, it hosted NCAA Final Four basketball tournaments. In addition to the stadium’s impact on the culture and development of its neighborhood, the EFTE roof’s ability to light its interior and keep snow off the field resulted in a 26% reduction of energy used for lighting and a 16% reduction overall.
Project Features
- 1.8 million square feet (167,225 sm)
- 125 suites
- 66,200 seats
- 7,500 club seats
- Party plaza
- Hall of Fame Museum
- LEED Gold certified
Awards
- 2019 AIA Dallas Chapter, Built Awards, Juror Citation, Large Projects Category
- 2018 The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, American Architecture Award, The Chicago Athenaeum
- 2018 American Public Works Association Project of the Year Award
- 2018 Minnesota Meetings + Events Magazine Readers’ Choice Award, Best Sports Venue
- 2018 American Institute of Steel Construction IDEAS2 Over $75M Merit Award
- 2018 Los Angeles Business Council Los Angeles Architecture Award, Beyond LA Category
- 2017 World Architecture Festival Building of the Year (Completed Projects: Sports)
- 2017 Stadium Business Awards, The David Vickers Award
- 2017 Athletic Business Facilities of Merit
- 2017 ACE Alpha Awards, Architect Award for Best Infrastructure