https://www.syracuse.com/orangesports/20...e-bit.html


Carrier Dome roof renovation will improve natural lighting ‘a little bit’

While this Carrier Dome conceptual rendering released by Syracuse University last May shows blue skies, the project will only improve the amount of natural light inside the building 'a little bit.'

By Chris Carlson | ccarlson@syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y. -- The amount of natural light coming into the Carrier Dome won’t be much different following Syracuse University’s renovation than it is currently, Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala said last week.

Increasing the amount of natural light in the building had been mentioned throughout the university’s conversations about the building over the past three years, but the school had to adjust its plans as it went about ensuring the building would be suitable for football, basketball and a variety of other activities.


“(Basketball) was exactly what we talked about,” Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack said. “Your concern is glare, right? You get too much glare in the afternoon at a basketball game and obviously that can impact shooting. That clearly is a factor in what we ultimately decided to do there.”

That’s likely the biggest change to the school’s renovation project, which officials say remains largely on track and unchanged from their most recent announcement last May. Wildhack says the changes will make the building the best sports venue between “New York and Toronto."

Sala said the shift came after the school modeled a variety of different materials and became concerned about how sunlight and shadows would impact afternoon basketball and football games.

“It’ll be a little bit more transparent,” Sala said. "A little bit more. We were concerned about light levels during the day and having it cast shadows and things. ... I think it will be as bright as it is today, maybe a little bit brighter. When the sun is out it’s really bright in there. Jim (Boeheim) does basketball camp all summer without turning the lights on until 6 or 7 at night. It’s great. We’ll have that translucency.

“We actually did a light modeling. I had a company come in, look at the different options. We showed what the shadowing could look like, how many days of sun we have in Syracuse. … We put the model in front of our group and we said, ‘Here’s a noon football game, do you want the football players looking into the sun? Here’s a noon basketball game. It could be the same thing. Do you really want that that time of year?’”


Syracuse has spoken often about the complexity of the Carrier Dome project, and its plans for the renovation have been adjusted since the university formally announced the project nearly three years ago.

In 2016, Sala had said he planned to use a product called ETFE in the new roof, which would have created an appearance similar to glass. The school had also initially hoped to create more natural light in the building by creating openings in some of the walls, an idea that was dropped in later announcements.

ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) was used to build the roof at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota, the indoor home of the Minnesota Vikings, where builders attempted to create the ideal mix of comfortable experience in a cold-weather environment and an outdoor-feel for football fans.

Unlike the Carrier Dome, however, U.S. Bank Stadium is primarily a football venue. Basketball has been played in the building, but only with substantial costs and limitations.

The University of Minnesota men’s basketball team played one game in the building last season but tipped off at 9 p.m. When U.S. Bank Stadium hosted the Final Four this season, the Associated Press reported that it required an additional $4.6 million investment to eliminate worries about glare for the weekend.


According to the AP, the fix in Minnesota required the use of custom-made ceiling darkening panels. They took five to seven days to produce with 20 to 25 workers. A similar timeframe was needed to take them down after the game.

Instead of ETFE, Sala said the material used to build the new roof of the Carrier Dome will be similar to the current version.

Last year, when Syracuse offered an update on the project, the school released a conceptual rendering that included what appeared to be a blue sky and white clouds visible through the Carrier Dome roof. Renderings are often idealized versions of projects, and Sala noted at that time the roof would be semi-translucent and have 45 percent light transmission.

One thing that Sala doesn’t expect to change with the new roof is the impact that it will have on opposing teams. With the sound trapped inside the building, the Carrier Dome has earned the label of the “Loudhouse,” a tradition he expects to live on.

“I know from a team experience it’s so loud because of the roof,” Sala said. “I think that’s going to be even better.”

Here are four other takeaways from a conversation with Wildhack and Sala.

Other amenities remain as planned
Wildhack said that as details of the project have been firmed up, none of the amenities mentioned in the announcement from last May have changed substantially.


The school still plans to add the new roof, sound and lighting systems by 2020, and plans to add improved concessions, restrooms and, yes, air conditioning by 2022.

“The plan is really the same as what we articulated back in May in terms of the amenities,” Wildhack said. “It’s kind of a top-down approach. When you do the roof, it makes sense that you do your lighting, your sound, your center-hung scoreboard, your wifi, (Americans with Disabilities Act) upgrades, etc. That plan continues to be in place. I think the combination of everything we have coming in Fall 2020 is going to provide a much enhanced experience for our fans.”

Last May, Wildhack said the school would install a four-sided scoreboard that would run on a track, allowing it to be used for both basketball and football. Wildhack repeated that desire last week.

Sala noted that the moveable scoreboard is one of the scoreboard options that the school is currently looking at.

Whatever option the school chooses, Wildhack said it would have a “wow factor” for fans.

Conversations about seat upgrades continue
One of the most frequent criticisms about the Carrier Dome is the bench seating, which often leads to crowded seats and a lack of back support.


Wildhack and Sala said that conversations about making improvements to seating by 2022 continue to occur, although they made no promises or assurances.

“Part of my team and part of John’s team is looking at, could seating be a possible project in 2022 or something?” Sala said. “We’re going through that right now, looking at it.”

“We’ve got parameters that we’re working under,” Wildhack said. “We’re going to work within those parameters. Ultimately, we’re going to make the smartest decisions we can across the board. ... (Seating) is not something that has been in (what we’ve announced). Is it something we would like to do it at some point? Yes. We would like to do it at some point.”

The school still plans to do Phase II of the renovation at an undetermined time. Changing the roof to one that is not air-supported will make any future improvements easier.

Exciting improvements
Wildhack said the budget for the renovations remains $118 million and he has high expectations for the project.

“What it’s going to be when it’s renovated is the best building between New York and Toronto,” Wildhack said. “It’s something that should be a point of pride for our community. The events that we have in there, whether they are athletic events, Monster Jam or (Paul) McCartney or whatever, the economic impact on Central New York is tremendous. From my perspective, I think this should be a point of pride for our community.”


Some of the amenities that he and Sala expect to make the biggest impact on fans continue to be the four-sided center-hung scoreboard and improved sound and lighting systems.

“In today’s world, 1999 sound isn’t anything like 2019 sound,” Sala said. “I didn’t get a single sound complaint about Paul McCartney with the new (systems) that are out there. We’ll have a lot better sound in the building. We’re working with the sound people as we speak. We know we can put sound inside the center-hung scoreboard which, again, is a better impact for fans. It’ll obviously be much, much better than what there is now.“

The improvements are beneficial for practical reasons, as well as presentation. With LED lighting, if the lights go out due to a power outage, it won’t take 30 minutes to turn them back on. The roof, Sala said, is being designed to handle the load of a “100-year snowstorm” and an entire winter’s worth of snow without any melting. The school has also improved access for people with disabilities.

“John and I have had some great conversations and his team has told me what they want to see when they players come out on the field,” Sala said. “I think the lighting system. I can not wait to be sitting at the official table and have a power outage and not have to worry about waiting 30 minutes for the light to come back on. That’s No. 1 for Pete. I can’t wait to get this new center-hung scoreboard up. This place is going to be amazing.”


The project has officially started
Some changes around the Carrier Dome are already visible. Sala said the school has installed a pair of buck hoists to get employees on to the roof, and the school began pouring concrete needed for the new roof’s ring beam on Tuesday.

The school has installed a silt fence on the West side of the Carrier Dome, and will need to install a 17-foot retention wall in order to host a big crane needed for the project, which will be located between the Carrier Dome and Dineen Hall.

Sala is also holding town halls with various colleges in order to discuss the impact the vibrations from construction could have on research projects. He said that 90 percent of the workers on the project are local.