Lambeau Field may be the most storied football stadium in the United States. Built in 1957 as the home of the Green Bay Packers, it had seen its share of great performances over the years. But during that time stadium design had progressed, offering better fan amenities such as wider concourses, better concession facilities and luxury boxes. So when it came time to give the Packers a “new” home, there was only one option – renovate the existing structure.
The Ellerbe Becket firm of Kansas City was chosen to design an extensive $295 million renovation of Lambeau Field, carefully mixing new features while keeping the building’s rich character. The selection of the right coating system was particularly critical since the Packer’s trademark bright green and yellow colors had to remain vivid all the while standing up to the punishing Green Bay weather.
A system utilizing a shop-applied prime coat of Series 90-97 Tneme-Zinc, a zinc-rich polyurethane, and a field applied topcoat of Series 1075 Endura-Shield II, an aliphatic polyurethane, was chosen for the exterior exposed steel including the structural beams, columns and joist in the two concourses, the eight 120 ft. light poles and the five miles of steel-mesh handrails. Any substrates exposed to sunlight also received an additional coat of Series 76 Endura-Clear, an aliphatic polyurethane clearcoat that provides further protection from ultra-violet light to extend long-term color and gloss retention.
The enormous glass-enclosed atrium, known as “Titletown”, received a protective coat of Series 161 Tneme-Fascure, a polyamide epoxy. Housing the Packers Hall of Fame, restaurants, shops and other attractions, this popular area is filled with fans on game day. Not surprisingly the floors in the two adjacent public restrooms must withstand heavy traffic and frequent cleanings, so a decorative epoxy floor topping system including Series 222 Deco-Tread and Series 284 Deco-Clear was installed.
Completed in 2001, the “redevelopment”, as it is called, has been hailed as the perfect combination of the past and present, and resulted in a project even owners of brand-new stadiums envy