WAS CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE,
U.S BANK STADIUM WILL SOON
OPEN.
THE DOORS MIGHT NOT BE WHAT THE
STADIUM IS MOST KNOWN FOR, BUT
MAYBE A SHOULD BE.
DAVID McCOY SHOWS US HOW THEY
ARE AN ENGINEERING MARVEL.
Reporter: SINCE BEGINNING, ALL
THE WAY FROM DESIGN THROUGH
CONSTRUCTION, U.S BANK STADIUMS
CLEAR SEE-THROUGH ROOF HAS BEEN
THE HEADLINER, GRABBING ALL THE
ATTENTION.
WHICH HAS CAUSED THE STADIUM
STORES TO SORT OF SLIP UNDER
THE RADAR.
THAT IS KIND OF INCREDIBLE,
BECAUSE ON ANY OTHER STADIUM,
THEY WOULD BE THE STAR. YOU
HESITATE TO SAY THAT SOMETHING
IS UNIQUE, BUT THESE ARE.
Reporter: STEPHEN BYRD WROTE
THE BOOK ON U.S BANK STADIUM.
IT'S OUT IN OCTOBER.
HE IS THE RESIDENT EXPERT ON
IT.
RECENTLY, WHILE COLLECTING
MATERIAL, HE GOT THE CHANCE TO
WALK THROUGH THOSE MASSIVE
GLASS DOORS AHEAD OF JUST ABOUT
EVERYBODY ELSE. PASSING
THROUGH DOOR LIKE THIS IS LIKE
NOTHING ELSE YOU EVER
EXPERIENCED.
DOORS ARE ABOUT TRANSITION.
FROM LIKE A RIGHT SUNNY DAY
LIKE TODAY TO A DARK INTERIOR,
THAT'S NOT LIKE WHAT THESE
STORES ARE LIKE.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU ARE
INSIDE OR OUTSIDE.
IT'S THE ABSOLUTE ABSENCE OF
CONTRAST THAT CONFUSES YOU.
Reporter: WHO KNEW THAT A DOOR
COULD BE SO EXCITING?
WHEN THE VIKINGS WERE LOOKING
FOR PUBLIC FUNDING FOR THE
STADIUM, RETRACTABLE ROOF WAS
RULED OUT OF THE QUESTION.
THE REJECTION WAS LITERALLY
WRITTEN INTO THE LEGISLATION.
THEY WERE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING
THAT WAS ANIMATED, SOMETHING
THAT WOULD MOVE. Reporter:
ROTATING ON HYDRAULIC PISTONS,
THEY ARE THE FIVE LARGEST
PIVOTING GLASS DOORS IN THE
WORLD.
55 FEET WIDE AND RANGING FROM
75-95 FEET HIGH, CONSISTENT
30,000 FT.2 OF GLASS ATTACHED
TO DOORFRAMES MANUFACTURED IN
TENNESSEE AND WEIGHING
ALTOGETHER 40,000 TONS.
ENORMOUS.
AND VERY IMPRESSIVE WHEN YOU
SEE THEM OPEN. Reporter:
READY UNIQUE TO SPORTS STADIUM.
THEIR THEY HAVE A BIG SLIDING
DOOR AT THE MIAMI MARLINS
BALLPARK DESIGNED BY THE SAME
COMPANY THAT BUILT THE STORE.
THEY HAD NEVER DONE TO THE
DOORS LIKE THIS.
THEY HAVE DONE SLIDERS.
THE COMPANY SAID THEIR FIRST
INCLINATION WAS TO RUN AWAY
FROM THIS PROJECT.
THEY DIDN'T WANTED, IT WAS
GOING TO BE TOO MAC HARD.
IT WAS TO ALLURING TO TURN
DOWN, TUNA BIG OF A CHALLENGE.
THE DOORS HAD TO BE BUILT INTO
A WALL IN A WAY WHERE THE
MEASUREMENTS WERE EXTREMELY
PRECISE IN ORDER FOR THEM TO
FIT AND IN ORDER FOR THEM TO
WORK.
SO IT WAS AN ENGINEERING SEAT
TO GET THE DOORS IN THERE.
Reporter: THE VIKINGS
INITIALLY THOUGHT THE NFL MIGHT
NEED TO CREATE A NEW POLICY FOR
THEIR FIRST IN THE LEAGUE DOORS
SIMILAR TO THE ONES FOR OPENING
AND CLOSING RETRACTABLE WILL IT
-- ROOFS.
THE LEAGUE SAID THE EXISTING
RETRACTABLE -- EXISTING
RETRACTABLE ROOF POLICY STILL
APPLIES.
THEY MUST DECIDE WHETHER THE
DOORS ARE OPEN OR CLOSE 90
MINUTES BEFORE KICKOFF.
AS FOR THE FACTORS GOING INTO
THAT DECISION, THE VIKINGS WILL
DO TESTING TO DETERMINE WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN THE DOORS ARE
OPEN.
ANY WIND OR OTHER IMPACT? I
THINK THEY MIGHT HAVE AN
EFFECT.
CERTAINLY THE ARCHITECTS KNOW
THERE'S AN -- THERE IS A
VENTILATION EFFECT.
I SUPPOSE THERE'S A CHANCE THAT
MIGHT AFFECT THE GAME, THE
FLIGHT OF A FIELD-GOAL KICKER
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
Reporter: IF THAT EVER HAPPENS
NO DOUBT THE DOORS WILL SURPASS
THE ROOF AS THE STADIUM'S MOST
FAMOUS FEATURE.
THE DOORS ARE A LITTLE
UNDERRATED. U.S BANK STADIUM
WILL HAVE A RIBBON-CUTTING
CEREMONY JULY 22 WITH THREE
TOURS TO FOLLOW.