How to Design & Build a Fast-Track Custom Glass Facade for a Stadium

Quick Fabrication & Installation Score a Touchdown

Our new stadium facade case study reveals how Bendheim’s glass cladding solution can help architects create a totally customized glass exterior on an exceptionally fast-track construction schedule. In 30 fully illustrated pages and a two-minute video, it explains how our clip-in glass system can expedite facade design, fabrication, and installation.

The case study examines the recent expansion and renovation of Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, IA by Neumann Monson Architects. The design team was challenged to expand the historic stadium’s seating capacity and upgrade its entire north end zone. Most importantly, the team aimed to enhance the game-day experience for University of Iowa’s dedicated Hawkeye football fans.

Neumann Monson chose to clad the new cantilevered north-end expansion with Bendheim’s vertically-and-horizontally shingled ventilated facade, combining custom fritted glass and fiber-cement panels. The innovative cladding system eliminates the need for drilled holes through the panels, allowing the seamless integration of glass and fiber-cement to create the architects’ hawk-wing-inspired design.

A boon for the construction schedule, the extraordinary amount of flexibility built into the system (1.5” tolerance in all directions) meant design and fabrication of the facade could begin as soon as the architectural drawings were approved, well in advance of construction. As a result, 14,000 sq. ft. of custom imprinted laminated glass, 6,000 sq. ft. of fiber-cement panels, and over 3,500 powder coated metal components were delivered and ready to install as soon as the rough openings were complete. Then, Bendheim’s field-adjustable system helped AWS of Clive, IA install all 20,000 sq. ft. of cladding in a couple of months during the football off-season.

From design to completion, our non-traditional point-supported facade solution achieved all aesthetic and performance goals and scored a touchdown for the fast-track construction schedule.