Minnesota Vikings to build stylised Norse ship featuring 2,000sq ft LED screen
A 2,000sq ft (186sq m) curved LED screen will form the sail of a giant stylised ship to be built outside the home of US National Football League team Minnesota Vikings.
The ‘Legacy Ship’ is due to be unveiled outside the U.S Bank Stadium in time for the 2016/17 pre-season. It has been designed by experience branding firm RipBang Studios, a division of the Minneapolis-based architects Nelson.
As well as the giant screen, the structure will include a 43ft (13m) high Norse dragon, and 150ft (46m) of linear displays which will feature historic Viking moments and thousands of ‘Legacy Bricks’ – personalised engraved bricks crafted by Minnesota-based Cold Spring Granite Company to be purchased by fans.
Although the ship is being privately funded by the Vikings, the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) will be providing the Legacy Bricks programme.
Vikings owner and president Mark Wilf said he wanted to reimagine the Viking ship that is present outside the team’s Winter Park training facility.
“We wanted to recreate the feature in a significantly enhanced way at U.S. Bank Stadium in order to give Vikings fans a new game day ritual and a perfect welcome to their unprecedented game experience,” he added.
Construction on the Legacy Ship is due to commence in Q1 2016.