Allianz Field | Suites

If you’ve ever visited the Twin Cities, you’ve felt it. A warm smile from someone on the street. The local who says hello and takes a genuine interest in how your trip is going. “Minnesota Nice,” some call it. We like to think of it in terms of old-fashioned hospitality.

It’s a high bar to clear, but Allianz Field’s interior spaces strive to do just that. Our responsibility as architects and interior designers is to make fans feel welcome and comfortable, both before and after they stroll through the gates. To that end, we put to use an understanding of Minnesota design sensibilities honed over two decades of designing Twin Cities destinations. Allianz Field’s contemporary designs continue a tradition of drawing people together with an elegant and, at times, understated touch.

The new standard-bearer of Major League Soccer stadiums caters to all ticket holders with a variety of hospitality spaces, including four suite types: Cabana Suites, Party Suites, Typical Suites, and an Owner Suite.

All suites reside at the top of a stack of premium levels on the stadium’s west side. A suite guest’s journey starts from the ground up with a warm and welcoming premium entrance that transitions into a beautiful walnut staircase. The staircase winds up all four stories and ties each level together. Lining the staircase wall on each level are hundreds of portraits. Each painted face belongs to an international soccer fan and serves as a joyful reminder of the beautiful game’s global reach.

Once fans reach the top, they’re greeted by a collection of spaces designed with the common thread of community. Each variety of suite is open and utilizes communal tables to emphasize this quality. In addition, they share the same natural materials like walnut and leather that strike an aesthetic balance with Minnesota United’s team color palette of blue and grey. We embraced this natural and neutral visual range, finding inspiration in Minnesota’s abundant forests that include, among other fauna, birch trees with silvery bark.

A series of three party suites connect to one another by way of sliding doors. They can be closed for private gatherings or opened to allow for a continuous experience by larger groups.

Allianz Field’s cabana suites, numbering one short of a dozen, feature glass walls on both the field-adjacent and interior walls. This setup makes each private suite feel open and expansive. The suites open to a lounge complete with a marble bar and leather furniture. A clerestory sits perched above the bar and provides glimpses of the stadium’s innovative exterior skin. Around the corner is further connection to the stadium’s dazzling skin and steel supportive ribs by way of a glass wall.

View additional submissions in the Suites category for ALSD Spotlight 2019.

Submitting Organization
Populous
Photo Credits
Alise O’Brien
Year
2019
Category Entered
Suites