Stadium Question

[Texas Vike]

Did we hire the architects that designed "Jerry World" and whatever the Colts call their stadium (Lucas Oil?).

I'm watching the Cowboys game right now and man is the light annoying in that stadium. How can you spend a billion dollars and get that wrong? Sure hope they don't make the same mistakes in MPLS.

[Eli]

What's wrong with the lighting? I'm watching that game and I don't even see a shadow on the field.

[joe h]

During most of the third quarter there was a sun glare that was getting into the giants eye. After the third the sun set enough so it wasn't a problem for the Cowboys.

[Demi]

Yes, we hired the same buffoons that designed Cowboys Stadium and the Colts stadium. And for a major architectural firm seem to have no grasp how the shadows/lighting is going to affect the field...

[Texas Vike]

During most of the third quarter there was a sun glare that was getting into the giants eye. After the third the sun set enough so it wasn't a problem for the Cowboys.

Not only for the players, but for spectators it looks terrible. There are extremely bright areas juxtaposed to dark shadows--not uniform at all.

[Eli]

You have to wonder how much leeway a designer has to work with when putting a retractable roof on a stadium. In the Vikings' case the orientation of the stadium itself is set in stone. That's the single biggest factor affecting shadows and I doubt that it could be moved more that a couple of degrees even if they wanted to.

The only other things to work with are roof height, which I doubt is very flexible. And then the shape of the opening, which again is pretty much dictated by the layout of a football field and its seating. You could make the opening very small, which would help, but then there's increasingly little reason to have it there at all.

Then there's the fact that you have to deal with the different angles of the sun over a three or four month period of the year. You can model the **** out of it, but what good does that do? If stadium orientation, roof height and opening size and shape are inflexible, your only option if the models don't work out is to scrap the idea altogether.

So if you want a retractable, you'll have to live with whatever shadows you end up with.

[Texas Vike]

You have to wonder how much leeway a designer has to work with when putting a retractable roof on a stadium. In the Vikings' case the orientation of the stadium itself is set in stone. That's the single biggest factor affecting shadows and I doubt that it could be moved more that a couple of degrees even if they wanted to.

The only other things to work with are roof height, which I doubt is very flexible. And then the shape of the opening, which again is pretty much dictated by the layout of a football field and its seating. You could make the opening very small, which would help, but then there's increasingly little reason to have it there at all.

Then there's the fact that you have to deal with the different angles of the sun over a three or four month period of the year. You can model the **** out of it, but what good does that do? If stadium orientation, roof height and opening size and shape are inflexible, your only option if the models don't work out is to scrap the idea altogether.

So if you want a retractable, you'll have to live with whatever shadows you end up with.

1. I personally do not want a retractable.

2. Pretty sure the issue w/ the two stadiums I mentioned comes from the windows that let light in through the end zones and not the points that you raise. If the Mayans could figure out how to make the sun create an illusion of a serpent descending their pyramids via astronomical calculations I would think a modern designer could figure out how to not let the light become a nuisance for the players and fans.

[akvikingsfan]

I have been to both Cowboys Stadium and Lucas Oil Stadium. Went on the tour of Cowboys Stadium while I was in Dallas this past summer and watched the Vikings Colts Pre-Season game in 09 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Being there in person I can tell you that the sun/shadows had no effect on my view from the stands. Of all the stadiums I have gone to (Minnesota, New Orleans, Tennessee, Dallas, Seattle, Indianapolis, Atlanta, and Washington) the experience and view at Dallas and Indianapolis was the best by far. I am glad that we hired the same firm. I believe they will do a wonderful job in designing a beautiful stadium that will provide us with a wonderful game day experience. And I will be at the opening game, whenever that might be.

[J. Kapp 11]

I have been to both Cowboys Stadium and Lucas Oil Stadium. Went on the tour of Cowboys Stadium while I was in Dallas this past summer and watched the Vikings Colts Pre-Season game in 09 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Being there in person I can tell you that the sun/shadows had no effect on my view from the stands. Of all the stadiums I have gone to (Minnesota, New Orleans, Tennessee, Dallas, Seattle, Indianapolis, Atlanta, and Washington) the experience and view at Dallas and Indianapolis was the best by far. I am glad that we hired the same firm. I believe they will do a wonderful job in designing a beautiful stadium that will provide us with a wonderful game day experience. And I will be at the opening game, whenever that might be.

This is a great point. What we see on TV is much different than what people see in the stands.

Camera apertures simply do not have the ability to adjust for contrast the way the human eye does. With a camera, if you expose for shadows, sunlight blows out the picture. If you expose for sunlight, the shadows go black. I'm looking outside right now, and the shadows don't seem black, and the sunlight doesn't seem overexposed. My eye and brain can do both at the same time.

With the weather Minneapolis gets in December and January, a dome or retractable roof makes a lot of sense to me. And as I've said before, it also makes the building useful for things like concerts in cold months. Hard to book a stadium concert when it's 10 below.

[Raptorman]

Hard to book a stadium concert when it's 10 below.

Wimps.

[TremorVike13]

Why would you build a billion dollar stadium facing east and west, with windows to shine the sun in your QB's eyes every other quarter? Its because you have a 100yd HD screen for the fans to watch the game on and you don't want to deal with the glare on the screen. The Death Star is a joke, Victoria Secret included, Cowboys are barely 50 at home since that thing was built. Beautiful place, just not made for HFA, Cowboys have been left to emailing their fans asking them to please be loud.

[Texas Vike]

Why would you build a billion dollar stadium facing east and west, with windows to shine the sun in your QB's eyes every other quarter? Its because you have a 100yd HD screen for the fans to watch the game on and you don't want to deal with the glare on the screen. The Death Star is a joke, Victoria Secret included, Cowboys are barely 50 at home since that thing was built. Beautiful place, just not made for HFA, Cowboys have been left to emailing their fans asking them to please be loud.

Awesome post. That's the exact explanation I got from friends here locally tonight. I see you're in Cowtown too. Good to know I'm not the only Vikings fan here.

[TremorVike13]

I try to keep pace, being born in St Paul. I have brainwashed 3 young sons to be die hard Viking fans, it maybe a life of heartbreak but when the day comes I hope the Vikings have more sense and learn from the mistakes of the death star: running down a tunnel through a night club (players need to feel the unity of traveling through a tunnel ready for battle), fans watching a screen instead of a actual game, before mentioned Victoria Secret store (if your buying panties your not real focused on the game), seats that cost more than most peoples mortgage, go-go dancers on different levels, prime steak houses, the dome gives us at least a loud advantage. We need a stadium not another Gaylord.

[Knoxx]

Maybe the feeling of running through a tunnel at a night club is in tribute to Michael Irvin