April 2018 | Eyesore

Commentary on architectural blunders in monthly serial.

Behold the US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota, future home of the Minnesota Vikings, clocking in at $1.1 billion (with $500 million from the taxpayers.) Wah-hoo, and pass the lutefisk tacos, honey…. Joshua Hardgrove, who nominated this humdinger, wrote: “….according to [architects] HKS, Inc., who built stadiums across the country and worldwide, its ribbed roof is supposed to be reminiscent of nordic vernacular architecture. The only thing reminiscent of Viking culture is the excessive violence and rampant consumption of ale.”

It’s a nice addition to the concrete wasteland of car storage that downtown Minneapolis has become. Note the depopulated street scene depicted below, with elevated walkways from the giant parking structure across the street. I predict that ten years from now there will be no more NFL as the oil-and-gas crisis really starts to bite. Malinvestments R Us. Go Vikes!