Allianz Field is a 19,400-seat capacity soccer stadium in St Paul, Minnesota, US. It was constructed by Minnesota United Football Club, a member of the Major League Soccer (MLS).
Completed in February 2019, the stadium was named under a naming-rights deal signed between Minnesota United FC and Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz) in July 2017.
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The $250m stadium created 2,020 jobs during its construction, which began in June 2017.
Allianz Field is one of the 15 venues selected to host the 2019 Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association of Football (CONCACAF) Gold Cup.
Allianz Field location
The Allianz Field soccer stadium was built on the site of a former Metropolitan Council bus barn. It is bordered by Interstate 94 to the south, Snelling Avenue to the west and University Avenue to the north.
The project anchors a 35-acre redevelopment site that may also include offices, housing, commercial space and a 1,600ft² retail store.
Allianz Field design details
Allianz Field covers an area of 346,000ft² and has a seating capacity of 19,400, which will be increased to 24,474 in the future.
The closest seat is 17ft away from the pitch, while the farthest from the sideline is just 125ft away, offering one of the most intimate settings in all professional sports. The stadium also features a 2,800-capacity safe-standing supporters section.
A key feature of the stadium is a 120yd x 75yd (110m x 69m) playing surface with natural grass cover. A hydronic field heating system was installed at the stadium, keeping the grass in best shape even for matches organised in early Spring and cold late Autumn.
A climate control system, including an advanced drainage system, was also installed, which reuses stormwater and minimises discharge.
A curving façade wraps the entire stadium building.
Materials used
The exterior of the stadium is covered by a fibreglass weave that is laminated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material, making it the first of its kind in North America.
The PTFE material protects fans from weather elements such as wind and water. Base aluminium bars were first connected to the white steel panels and the fabric was then wrapped on the base aluminium bar, for placing the PTFE material.
At night, the PTFE material is backlit in various colours to create a one-of-a-kind canvas for the stadium. An LED lighting system was installed on the PTFE panels, which illuminates them in any colour. It is programmed to change colours, light intensity and pattern in accordance with the festivities being organised inside the stadium.
Allianz Field construction
First concrete for the foundations was poured in July 2017 after removing more than 120,000 cubic yards of soil from the site during pre-construction.
A steel column-raising ceremony was conducted in November 2017, and the exterior translucent fabric installation works began in May 2018. The project used approximately 4,500t of steel.
The stadium topping out was performed in mid-2018, which also saw the installation of scoreboard and the first seats.
As many as 330 rock anchors were placed at a depth from 45ft to 65ft, as part of the stadium construction.
Amenities at Allianz Field
The new stadium consists of 25 suite rooms, 38 semi-private loge boxes and four club rooms.
It also features a distributed antenna system, which allows fans to post their favourite moments of the match on online social media platforms.
Funding
A partnership comprising Minnesota-based families and business leaders provided financing for the construction of the Allianz Field, which is the first in Minnesota to be constructed without any public subsidy.
The City of Saint Paul provided financing for infrastructure and site improvements worth $16.1m around the stadium site.
Contractors involved
Mortenson Construction was awarded the contract for the construction of Allianz Field, while Populous, an architecture firm based in Kansas City, designed the stadium.
Merrill Iron & Steel fabricated the steel used for the stadium construction, while Danny’s Construction erected the steel.
Walter P Moore conducted enclosure engineering for the curving façade of the stadium.
Atomic Data was engaged as the Wi-Fi, IT and Cloud partner for the stadium, while Windsor designers and contractors provided landscaping services.
