Stadiums under construction/renovation for the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants/Jets, and New Orleans Saints will all incorporate high-tech aluminum exteriors.
Dallas Cowboys New Stadium
The Cowboys’ new stadium, scheduled to open at the start of the upcoming NFL season, will incorporate 700,000 pounds of soft alloy extruded profiles to frame the unitized curtainwall that will be the dominant architectural feature of the stadium’s exterior — which when completed will rise 86 feet high, sloping outward at a 14-degree angle.
Both the aluminum and the glass have been customized to reflect the Cowboys’ team colors. The aluminum mullions will be Valspar Cowboy Silver, while the glass panels will be graduated in color from blue to light gray and silver.
Superdome Renovations
As one of the earliest examples of domed-stadium architecture in the U.S., the Louisiana Superdome long ago achieved iconic status. But time and, in particular, the effects of Hurricane Katrina have since dictated that the home of both the New Orleans Saints and the Sugar Bowl receive an exterior overhaul.
Completed in 1975, the Superdome was originally sided with striking bronze aluminum panels. Those panels were fastened together by rivets, meaning that when one panel is removed those above it must be removed also.
To prevent a patchwork appearance that could have resulted from the renovation of only some sections requiring repair following Hurricane Katrina, Trahan Architects chose to remove the whole skin and reclad it entirely.
The architects again chose aluminum for the recladding—but opted for a thicker panel that will be affixed in such a way that, if one is in need of repair, it can be removed singly and replaced. The new aluminum panels are backed by a waterproof membrane that acts as a rainscreen—and the entire skin dramatically improves the building’s energy performance.
Architects chose a champagne bronze color for the cladding to closely match that of the original exterior. Andozing of the panels will ensure that the iconic color stays intact for years to come.
To read more about aluminum in the NFL, check out the full article from the Aluminum Association.