All posts tagged Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United FC unveiled Populous-designed renderings for the new home of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the land of 10,000 lakes. Populous designed a new, USD$150m, 20,000-seat stadium, which will boast the latest in amenities and technology, while also being sustainably designed to minimise environmental impact and energy usage. The stadium is planned to open in two years time, ready for the 2018 MLS season.

Bruce Miller, Senior Principal at Populous and lead architect for Minnesota United FC’s new stadium, said:

We are truly excited to unveil the architectural vision for the new home of the Minnesota United. This new facility will provide the city of St. Paul and the northern Midwest region a year-round destination for both soccer and entertainment.

This building is designed to be a soccer first facility, but it is also designed to host events year round.

The new Minnesota United stadium offers a bold vision for the future of soccer and aspires to become an international stage for the Beautiful Game. The building will be both contextually and climatically responsive and offers an intense fan experience both inside and outside the stadium walls.

Minnesota United will finance the estimated USD$150m stadium, with it becoming publicly-owned once construction is complete. Minnesota United was awarded an MLS franchise in 2015, in a highly competitive process that puts Minnesota ahead of other major markets in the U.S.

William McGuire, principal owner of Minnesota United FC, said:

This world-class venue will not only offer our fans an iconic professional soccer experience, but also provide our team with the necessary tools to establish themselves as a top-tier professional soccer club. We want this facility to be the cornerstone of professional soccer throughout our state and the North. We expect this facility to serve as a catalyst for additional development that inspires greater livability in this area. We are proud to say that the fulfillment all of these goals appears to be on track.

Some of the features that will set this world-class facility apart include:

• Elegant “flow” design concept with LED lighting throughout
• 20,000 seats
• Three hospitality clubs
• Complete 360-degree canopy over the bowl to protect fans and players from the elements – reduces light and noise from spilling into the neighbourhood, while creating an intimate and intimidating home pitch atmosphere
• Field heating system similar to TCF Bank Stadium and Target Field
• Distributed Antenna System (DAS) for enhanced cell phone coverage
• High-Density Wi-Fi for mobile device coverage
• 1,600sqft retail store
• Year round uses located at street level to provide non-game day activity to the building
• A variety of suites, club seats, loge boxes and general seating
• Street level exterior materials of native Minnesota limestone, complementary burnished block, and glass
• Intimate seating bowl – furthest distance from spectator to the pitch is 125ft
• Sustainably designed to minimise environmental impact and energy usage
• Translucent PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) building skin to protect fans from the elements

Populous, based in Kansas City since 1983, has a Minneapolis portfolio that also includes AMSOIL Arena, the Minnesota Twins’ Target Field, TCF Bank Stadium, Xcel Energy Center, and the University of Minnesota TCF Bank Stadium.

For further information, on Minnesota United Soccer Stadium, click here.

About Populous

Populous is a global architecture and design firm that designs the places where people love to be together, like Yankee Stadium, the London Olympics, and the Super Bowl. Over the last 30 years, the firm has designed more than 2,000 projects worth $40 billion across emerging and established markets. Populous’ comprehensive services include architecture, interior design, event planning and overlay, environmental graphics and wayfinding, master planning, landscape design, urban planning and sustainable design consulting. With regional headquarters in Kansas City, London and Brisbane, Populous has 15 offices on four continents.

 For more information visit www.populous.com or follow @Populous on Twitter.