Allianz Field | Tensile Façade

Structure Type: Tensile Façade
Project Scope: Engineering assistance, fabrication, and installation
Project Size: 93,540 sqft
Material: PTFE
Location: Saint Paul, MN
Completion Date: 2019
Market Segment: Sports Facilities
Owner: Minnesota United FC
General Contractor: Mortenson Construction
Architect: Populous
Structural Engineer: Walter P. Moore

Photo credit: Gian Lorenzo Ferretti

Allianz Field is a 19,400-seat capacity soccer stadium built in Saint Paul, Minnesota, for Minnesota United FC, the city’s Major League Soccer club. The $250 million stadium was designed by the renowned sports architecture firm, Populous, with assistance from engineering firm Walter P Moore. The stadium features a brilliantly simple design consisting of a membrane façade wrapped around the undulating steel framework. The completed building has a sleek, modern aesthetic that appears quite different from day to night.

PFEIFER’s scope of work on the stadium involved the fabrication and installation of the 93,540 square foot tensile membrane façade. The membrane wrapping around the stadium is a uniquely developed PTFE membrane material that reflects sunlight and appears silver during daylight hours yet appears translucent at night. The steel support structure behind the building envelope includes 1,700 embedded computer-controlled LED lights capable of displaying dynamic light shows on the membrane façade.

The Architect’s Newspaper article: https://www.archpaper.com/2019/05/allianz-field-minnesota-united-ptfe-facadesplus/#gallery-0-slide-0

We are pleased to write a letter of recommendation for FabriTec Structures. Walter P Moore has collaborated with Fabritec on a wide variety of projects. In those projects, the individuals from Fabritec have consistently brought technical skill, ingenuity, and a collaborative attitude to the project.

One specific example of partnership between Fabritec and Walter P Moore is Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota scheduled to open in March 2019. The 20,000 seat stadium will be home to Minnesota United F.C. of the Major League Soccer. Allianz Field features a 90,000 square-foot PTFE fabric wrapping the entire stadium, making it a one of a kind jewel. The design called for the use of a new PTFE fabric developed by St. Gobain consisting of woven fiberglass yarns covered in a clear PTFE laminate, marketed as Illuminate 28.

Fabritec was brought on to the project as a design-assist partner before the structural design was finalized. This arrangement allowed Fabritec to work hand-in-hand with the remainder of the design team to design and detail the exterior skin in an aesthetically pleasing, structurally sound, and cost-effective solution. The Fabritec team brought their immense experience to the project, collaborating with the entire team aimed at finding solutions in the best interest of the project. Positive collaboration between the structural engineer of record and the fabric designer/installer is critical to having a successful project outcome. The result is a truly world-class stadium featuring the first large-scale installation of Illuminate 28.

We look forward to the opportunity to continue working with Fabritec in the future.

Justin Barton, P.E.
Principal

Walter P. Moore and Associates

2019 Award of Excellence
Tensile Structures, More Than 2322 Square Meters
IFAI International Achievement Awards

2019 Outstanding Achievement
Facades
IFAI International Achievement Awards