Historic Stadium Gets New Breathable Glass Skin by Bendheim

Custom Glass Facade Becomes Part of the Modern Game Day Experience at Kinnick Stadium

Our ventilated glass cladding and rainscreen system is featured in the latest renovation of the iconic Kinnick Stadium at the University of Iowa. Neumann Monson Architects chose our system for its aesthetics, versatility, and speed of fabrication & installation – key benefits to the project’s design objectives and demanding construction schedule.

Located in Iowa City, IA, Kinnick Stadium is the home of the Hawkeyes football team. Bendheim’s ventilated glass facade wraps the entire North End Zone and spans 655 feet, incorporating over 14,000 sq. ft. of decorative glass. The custom glass design was inspired by a hawk wing. It features a varied, color-fritted linear pattern and our double-shingled cladding system.

The facade system uses customized compression clips to clasp the glass panels. This eliminated the need for drilled holes in the glass, which are required in typical point-supported (spider) systems and can create alignment issues. The adjustable, non-traditional point-supported Bendheim system sped installation and ensured easy future maintenance. It also allowed fabrication of the glass and hardware to begin immediately – from the approved shop drawings rather than field measurements.

The entire facade fabrication, delivery, and installation comfortably fit within the tight construction timeline, taking place during the 2019 off season. AWS glaziers were able to install the project in approximately two months.

The custom glass system offered multiple additional aesthetic and performance benefits. It allowed the architects to:

1. create a streamlined, uniform exterior that seamlessly integrates non-conditioned and conditioned spaces;
2. combine decorative glass and fiber cement panels in the same cladding system;
3. brand the facade with the University of Iowa Hawkeye symbolism;
4. highlight the new cantilevered North zone addition by contrasting it against the stadium’s historic brick exterior;
5. provide natural ventilation for the hot early-season games, then block wind and moisture during the cold fall and winter months;
6. facilitate smoke mitigation.

“Hawkeye fans are passionate about their stadium. There are generations of season ticket holders, and we were very respectful towards their experience,” said Asa Houston, architect at Neumann Monson. “We wanted to design something light and elegant, to create a modern intervention on the north side of the historic structure. We didn’t want the design to detract from the original 1929 structure.”

At Kinnick Stadium, the glass panels reach sizes up to 62” by 154”. The system is custom-engineered to support the weight of the glass, with a minimal amount of visible hardware and generous 1.5” tolerance in all directions. Bendheim also meticulously detailed the placement of each pattern-fritted glass panel to realize Neumann Monson’s design aesthetic.

Photos by Bendheim and Cameron Campbell, AIA.