China Olympic Anniversary

Syracuse's new Carrier Dome roof will be made from ETFE, the same material used on the outside of China's 'Water Cube.'

(Greg Baker | The Associated Pres)

Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse's skyline will soon lose its most iconic piece. Gone will be the white pillows of the Carrier Dome, replaced by a modern combination of steel, natural light and a clear, space-age plastic called ETFE.

Vice President & Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala said the Carrier Dome roof will be made from the same material as Minnesota's U.S. Bank Stadium, a billion dollar facility that will open this fall and house the NFL's Vikings this season.

"The biggest change you'll see is not having the white pillows when you walk in the door," Sala said. "You'll see a steel structural framework that's typical of newer stadiums today. … The new roof is much higher than the existing roof. I don't want to give too much away but we're going to work with a product called ETFE. You'll see the product in Minnesota. That's a really good example of what we'll do here. It's clear. You can make it darker. It almost looks like glass. It's going to bring a lot more light into the building."

A year ago, in an article in the Minnesota Star-Tribune, the Vikings touted their facility as the only major sports facility in the country with a roof that would be made of ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene), which lets in sun like glass but is actually lighter and less expensive to use.

The Minneapolis skyline is reflected in the new U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis as it nears completion for the $1.2 billion home of the Minnesota Vikings NFL football team beginning this season in Minneapolis.

It creates a more outdoor experience, seemingly providing an answer to Syracuse football fans who complain about spending the region's beautiful fall days inside a covered building.

Along with Minnesota, the material was also used in Beijing's Water Cube during the 2008 Summer Olympics. That building became famous for the bright bubble patterns adorning its walls, crafted from ETFE and LED lights. Sala noted the Carrier Dome roof would have similar technology, using both ETFE and LED lights.

"With new LED technology you can do anything," Sala said. "Absolutely. We're not going to do something without an LED lighting package. That's something we talked about from the beginning. I was watching a hockey game the other night and it was crazy how they changed the arena. It was really cool when they introduced the players. We've asked to have lights that you can turn on and off. It'll be LED lighting."

According to the Minnesota Star-Tribune ETFE is also more acoustically reflective than Teflon so the building christened "The Loud House" will remain that way. The lifespan of an ETFE roof is approximately 50 years, more than double the lifespan of the Teflon version. It also eliminates the need for Syracuse employees to climb on the roof and remove snow, a dangerous process that Sala said caused immense stress every winter.

Sala said the school is currently envisioning a saw tooth design for the roof and noted that the school plans to add glass to the outside of the building as well, allowing a view into the building.

"More glass," Sala said. "We'd like to somehow make it so that when someone walks around they can look into the building and share the space with the outdoors."

Sala said the steel supports in the roof will allow for things to be hung, generating the opportunity for significant fan-enhancement opportunities.

One of the models that the school is looking at uses a center-hung scoreboard. Sala said the roof will allow for promoters to hang lighting equipment, something that will enhance the sports environment and make the building more attractive to concert promoters.

"All the (amenities) inside the building (are) still being defined," Sala said. "I've lived this place for 33 years. I know what it takes to put an event on, what we lack. You can't hang from the roof so we want to put a system where we can rig from it. We're not going to put a hard roof on here unless we can make it easier for promoters to want to do concerts. Those are the things you're able to work on. What's the best thing for the building?"