Nice New Stadium Pics

not crazy about the glass, at all. there was a rather extensive post about this on another board. "What you are seeing now (the "navy blue stuff") is glass, and it is the final product. There is no protective film to be removed later. The renderings of the facade did in fact show all glass, and all glass it is. However, it was never going to be transparent "vision glass". The vast majority of the glass was always going to be "spandrel glass". This is glass with an opaque, colored (in this case a custom blue), ceramic coating on the back. This is used typically at the floor lines of buildings. This is because the vast majority of the glass facing the field has nothing behind it. There are floor lines between the suite levels obviously, and the roof is actually just above the top level of suites. Thus, the vast expanse of the upper most level (the 500 level it is called) has no occupied space. What you are seeing is simply a huge parapet wall that hides the rooftop HVAC units and other mechanical equipment. Thus, while some of you may find the color unappealing, if clear glass were installed, trust me it would look much worse (not that this would ever be done). Now, there is a very long story behind the selection of the spandrel glass make-up. Suffice it to say, there is a functional method to the madness. All of the glass facing the field, both spandrel and vision, has a very high-tech, anti-reflective coating. This is minimize any reflection of sunlight and /or sunspots onto the field that could affect game-play. This was a paramount consideration in glass selection. Originally, the spandrel glass was to be made into insulating glass units (double pane units). This would have added a more aesthetically pleasing depth than you see now. However, when we did in place mock-ups, the multiple levels of coating, plus multiple heat treated layers, plus laminating inter-layers, plus the spandrel coat all added up to a complete mess. The color variation could not be controlled, and in certain lighting conditions it looked as green as an MSU helmet. The spandrel you see is a monolithic glass, with 1 anti-reflective coating and the color coat on the inside. Yes, I agree it doesn't have the depth or look of real glass that the original design intended. However, of all the options we looked at (and there were dozens), it offered by far the best depth of color, color consistency, flatness / lack of distortion, and most importantly the lowest reflective light transmittance. This is longer than I intended, but I hope it sheds some light on things. Keep in mind, function was as important aesthetics. Michigan Stadium will be one of only a handful of stadiums in the country with a North-South orientation that has a suite structure on the East side facing west. Most only have suites on the West, ala Spartan Stadium. We could have had a nice deep spandrel glass that popped your eyes out, but if it blinded the players with sunspots it would kind of defeat the purpose."

We need some monstrous scoreboards to fill up some of that empty space. Other than that, lookin' good so far.

I can see my house!

Also, I know we might have already known this, but those pictures suggest the additions will not have a monstrously profound effect on the noise level. Also also, I think these pictures should dissolve any remaining desire to see the brick wrap entirely around the stadium. This is really beautiful.

wow our stadium is amazing.

I think the stadium looks great. At times, when I drive past the stadium, it almost looks fake or too good to be real. If I was a recruit, the new Big House would blow me away. It looks a lot bigger than it did without the addition and much more intimidating, IMO.

Gorgeous! Can't wait til it's all finished. Just a few things: We need no we don't need, but I request, at least one bigger scoreboard, re-paint all of the seats and while they do that, like the guy on scout said, take out the yellow square around the M and just make it an M. edit: never mind, maybe they should get rid of the square, then make a bigger M!

Wow - I love the exterior. I have to chuckle at how small the old press box looks. (I have heard that it's seriously cramped in there.)

where was this posted originally?

I'd much rather have a second tier added to one endzone before the scoreboard upgrade. 135,000 for one game, oh yeah.

First, GREAT piece on the glass selection. Very good stuff. I noticed immediately after the blue was installed how different it was from the rendering. The consensus is that the open bowl design of Michigan Stadium prevents a great deal of the noise from reaching the field. Instead it escapes up and out of the bowl. The top of the new buildings hang out over several rows of the seats below it, tapering in for the lower levels of the buildings. This design is intended to deflect more noise down to the playing surface. At a game in 2007, a db noise test was performed at midfield during halftime. During the test, the crowd was whipped up into a frenzy then they took the measurement. I figure they will do the same test in 2010 to prove the theory -- or not. As a field photographer, I can attest that the buildings, especially now as they have been enclosed, are impressive and very intimidating from field level. I am encouraged by its form and function. The old press box was built in 1956 and was the very best technology for that era. It is, indeed, very small and very cramped in there on game days. You can view some interior shots here http://www.flickr.com/photos/30115874@N04/3449240330/in/set-72157609262… As for the scoreboards/video boards, I cannot imagine anything will be done to those in the immediate future. As everyone can see with the new buildings, the only areas available for expansion (added seats) are the end zones. I think a second deck on each end zone would look great. I have read on MGoBlue.com a passing comment about future expansion plans. I can only imagine that the AD office and/or the Regents have knowledge of future expansion plans. You have to know that the new buildings constructed on the south end of the stadium are positioned to accommodate an expansion.