BREWING UP BASEBALL IN MILWAUKEE

Nowhere else in North America is there a ballpark like it. Consider the statistics: 43,000 seats, a 12,000-ton, $50 million retractable roof (able to stand up to 12-foot snowdrifts in the off-season), and at 500,000 tons one of the heaviest structures in the state of Wisconsin. Inside, the distance from the playing field to the ceiling is 200 feet; outside, the park's highest arch stares down at the ground 30 stories below, claiming a spot in Milwaukee's skyline. Since 1999, no fewer than four other major league ballparks have opened in cities across the United States, but the Milwaukee Brewers are calling Miller Park -- their new home -- "the most technologically advanced, aesthetically appealing ballpark in the world."

Miller Park replaces the old County Stadium, where the Brewers (and earlier, the Braves) had played for almost half a century. Though jammed with Milwaukee baseball history from home plate to the outfield, the city needed a facility for the new century. With an eye toward the best of ballparks past -- manual scoreboards, natural grass, and seats close to the action -- Miller Park is also thoroughly modern. Five of the seven panels in its huge, fan-shapped roof stay open to sunny days and balmy nights, closing only for cool or inclement weather in less than ten effortless minutes.

Kalwall is a Major League Hit

Kalwall creates the rest of the park's open, airy quality. The first- and third-base walls sport huge crescent sections as well as 550 foot x 22 foot bands of the translucent panels. Five, 72 foot x 142 foot exterior wall sections cover 78,000 square feet of the shell of Miller Park, which is roughly 98% of the outfield grass area. The movable roof panels remain open during good weather, further enhancing the feeling of an outdoor park. Even when closed, however, Kalwall still bathes the interior in controlled, glare-free, shadowless, natural daylight.

Nielsen Building Systems of Racine, Wisconsin, coordinated installation of the wall system, which is comprised of 4 foot x 35 foot panels weighing only 210 pounds each. "Little of Miller Park's 500,000 tons comes from those panels," says Vice President Dale Nielsen. "Because of Kalwall's lightweight design and ease of assembly, once the interior frames were installed, we were able to put up 28 panels in just six hours. We started calling it a 'drive-by' installation!"

Kalwall also shows up in canopies daylighting the entrance areas. Taken together, there are over 78,000 square feet of Kalwall panels in Miller Park. "With so much Kalwall," adds Nielsen, "the entire exterior of the park absolutely glows when lit from the inside during evening games. It's beautiful and, day or night, a real landmark for Milwaukee!"

Architectural Team: HKS/NBBJ/Eppstein Uhen

Kalwall Specifications:
Light Transmission: 37%
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient: 0.44 walls, 0.53 roof and canopies
U-Factor: .53 by NFRC
Panel Color: Crystal exterior, Custom Green interior

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