Phillip Koski at Miller Dunwiddie’s new shimmering $293m Silver Ramp parking expansion at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport showcases the possibilities for a more multi-module future that is not yet here.
“Airport architects are lucky in that we only really consider high-quality materials that can stand up to crowds of people 24 hours a day,” states Phillip Koski at MDA.
“The challenge is to use the materials to shape spaces people want to spend time in, not just walk through.”
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Phillip Koski and his design team at Miller Dunwiddie Architects (MDA) have completed the newest, and one of the tallest, structures at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), has gained recognition for engineering and design feats that have created a modern iconic structure for the airport while greatly improving parking capacity and ground transportation services.
The Silver Ramp is a mixed-use, multimodal transportation hub located in the heart of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport’s Terminal 1 campus.
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Silver Ramp provides approximately 2.1 million square feet of structured parking, approximately three miles of expansion joints, five acres of exterior façade, and 180,000 square feet of conditioned floor space.
Topping out at 11 stories, the Silver Ramp is the new shimmering transit facility catching the eyes of arriving MSP passengers from the view of their aircraft window seats as well as motorists on nearby highways.
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After opening in August 2020, the Silver Ramp added 5,000 additional public parking spaces to the airport campus.
Silver Ramp also serves as the new Terminal 1 transit center, a more sustainable approach to bring together many modes of transportation, including auto rentals, buses, shuttles, the regional light rail system, and even bicycles.
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The ground floor lobby features the tallest escalator in Minnesota (56-feet), one of the several escalators connecting customers directly to one of four auto rental levels where customers pick up and return vehicles.
Built to address increasing parking demand and replace outdated car rental and transit facilities, the project is the capstone effort of a multi-year program to repurpose and optimize real estate within the airport’s land-locked center.
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The project program includes 5,000 parking spaces; new car rental customer service counters and pick-up and drop-off facilities; a transit center for local bus service, passenger and employee shuttles, ground transportation options, and new secure bicycle facilities; and direct connections to the blue Line LRT station as well as an existing underground people mover to the main terminal.
Designing and building the structure brought about tremendous challenges.
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Achieving the goal of maximizing the multi-modal connectivity and pedestrian access to existing Terminal 1 infrastructure required building in a space between existing facilities, bordered by the airfield and adjacent roadways, and over the existing Metro Transit light rail station, located underground.
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“We had to develop some very innovative engineering solutions to tackle the challenges presented by this once in a lifetime project,” said Ben Henderson, Vice President at KimleyHorn, the program manager for the project.
“One of the biggest challenges was designing and constructing a foundation solution that no one would ever see, which spans across the light rail station cavern to safely support the 11-story structure above.”
The engineering solution included designing foundation load transfer beams as long as 90 feet long and 15 feet wide to preserve the structural integrity of the roof of the light rail station cavern below the Silver Ramp.
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Engineering and design partners for the airport also worked to incorporate sustainability throughout the facility, such as the use of long-life construction materials that are recyclable, LED lighting, HVAC and lighting occupancy sensors, low flow plumbing fixtures, electric vehicle chargers, native landscaping, and a universal access design.
The structure can also accommodate a future solar installation that would expand MSP’s solar generation capacity beyond its current 4.3-megawatt capacity from existing rooftop solar panel systems.
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The shimmering beauty of the parking structure was born out of another design and engineering challenge.
To gain design acceptance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), project engineers and architects had to design a façade that would not negatively impact airfield navigation communications.
Traditional precast concrete or metal panel facades could not be used. The solution was the creation of a facade system consisting of 2” square terra cotta baguettes (tubes) spaced five inches apart (on the center).
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The designers enhanced the visual impact of the structure by creating a custom palette featuring darker colors toward the ground and lighter colors at higher levels.
The building appears to fade into the sky on sunny days.
The exterior cladding of ombre-patterned terracotta baguettes – black, blue, grey, and white – were chosen to harmonize with the existing terminal architecture, and to evoke a structure that is both rooted to the ground while reflecting the moods of the sky.
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As ethereal as the building exterior is, the building’s interiors are based on a candid expression of the weight and orthogonal logic of the supporting structure.
Consisting of a neutral palette of exposed concrete, aluminum frame glazing, and dark masonry walls, the building’s public spaces operate as a neutral background to the colorful ebb and flow of carts, people, and travel gear.
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A lower portion of the west-facing façade also includes a 15,000 square foot aluminum perforated art mural, “Interrupted Landscapes of the Incomer,” by Minneapolis-based photographer Steve Ozone.
The 40-foot-high mural, which can be viewed from the ground and by passengers through the glass windows along the G-C Connector Bridge, features seven portraits that illustrate the stories of newcomers to Minnesota.
MSP is the 17th busiest airport in the United States.
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Project: MSP Airport Silver Ramp Transit Center
Architects: Miller Dunwiddie Architects (MDA)
Design Leader: Phillip Koski
Program Manager: Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.
Construction Coordinator: Kraus-Anderson Construction Co.
General Contractor: PCL Construction
MEP Engineers: Michaud Cooley Erickson
Client: Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC)
Photographers: Peter VonDeLinde
Chef Perihan as perfected a new addition to the menu that we believe will soon become a North Shore staple; introducing our Smoked Goose Chowder!
Located in the Historic Lodge at Lutsen Resort, “Strand” means shore in Swedish, highlighting one of the dining room’s best assets – the incredible view of Lake Superior and the Poplar River.
The menu consists of a strong blend of contemporary and traditional North Shore Cuisine items. Our temperature-controlled wine cellar holds 1200 bottles of international and local fine wines. We carry 20 wines from the Wine Spectator Top 100 list, including the #1 wine.
Lutsen Resort on Lake Superior is the most historic resort in the state of Minnesota. Just 90 miles north of Duluth the resort resides on one of the largest pebble beaches on the North Shore
The first Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival took place in 2002 after a year’s worth of hard work and preparations by dedicated Twin Ports Rotarians. In our first year, we had over 70 teams and had such a good time we just had to do it again…and we’ve been doing just that ever since!
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THE RACE LOCATION
On August 26th & 27th located at the head of Lake Superior, this 400-meter race is a straight course that takes place in the Superior Bay off of Barkers Island. The water between the island and the mainland provides an ideal venue for the race, and historic Barker’s Island is a terrific staging area for not only the race but is also a recreational park for local residents.
There is ample space for spectators and all the activities associated with the festival. Many teams erect tents for the weekend, socialize, nap and celebrate on the island. Race heats take place completely in view across the island and happen in quick succession. The event is family friendly, has no admission fee for spectators, and is tons of fun!
Spectators are welcome to partake in the festival at no charge!
The Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival (LSDBF) is organized, operated and staffed by Rotary Club of Superior for the good of our community. These members who are local residents of the Twin Ports area have created this family fun event to better the community and experiences of the people within it. Since 2002, LSDBF has raised over $1.3 million to support charitable organizations in the Twin Ports.
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LSDBF supports the mission of Rotary International: to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
Rotary International consists of 1.2 million members and 33,000 clubs in over 200 countries worldwide.
Visit Saint Paul: Raise your hand if you’re counting down the days to the highlight of Minnesota summers @mnstatefair. Share your excitement by tagging your fair buddy and sharing what you love about The Great MInnesota Get Together! First time at the fair? Haven’t been in forever? Find out everything you need to know about the Minnesota State Fair with helpful links here to specific fair information.
After three years of territorial fairs, the first Minnesota State Fair was held in 1859 near what became downtown Minneapolis. This was a year after Minnesota was granted statehood.
During the fair’s early years, the site of the exposition changed annually with stops in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Red Wing, Winona and Owatonna. In the 1870s and early 1880s, civic groups from both St. Paul and Minneapolis worked relentlessly to provide a permanent home for the fair in their respective cities, but could not agree on anything. The State Fair finally found a permanent home at its present location when Ramsey County donated its 210-acre poor farm to the state for exclusive use by the Agricultural Society, the governing body of the State Fair.
Secure in its new surroundings, the State Fair began to grow. Physically, the fairgrounds blossomed to its current 322 acres. Architecturally, it is home to many historically significant structures including the Fine Arts Center, Progress Center, Grandstand, Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum and Agriculture Horticulture Building.
An important change in the State Fair over the years has been in the growing attractions offered to fair visitors. The character of early fairs was dominated by agricultural exhibits and competitions, reflecting the fair’s original purpose of encouraging farming in the state. While agriculture is still the primary focus with a bigger-than-ever presence, the scope of activities has broadened to include large-scale entertainment, technological and industrial exhibits, and participation of scores of education and government institutions.
Since its inception, the fair has been held every year with only six exceptions: in 1861 and 1862 due to the Civil War and U.S.-Dakota War, in 1893 because of scheduling conflicts with the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, in 1945 due to federal government travel restrictions during World War II, in 1946 due to a polio epidemic, and in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Fair Archives
It is important to preserve the past while looking toward the future. Started in 2008, the Minnesota State Fair archives staff continue to catalog and sort more than a century’s worth of history. The collection is currently made up of tens of thousands of photographs, postcards, maps, correspondence and more. Items are numbered, given a storage location and logged into a database for easy retrieval.
The archives are not open to the public. However, historical information is available through several venues. Through a grant received by the Minnesota State Fair Foundation, State Fair annual reports and competition results were digitally scanned and made available for viewing. Information on concessionaires, political figures, Grandstand productions and much more can be seen. To view the digital Minnesota State Fair annual reports and competition results from 1887 to present, use the digital archives. Navigation tips for the digital archives can be found here.
Fair Activities & Resources
The State Fair History & Heritage Center, a centerpiece of West End Market, showcases the competition, entertainment, agriculture, food, merchandise, rides & games and Minnesota industry that have been at the heart of the fair for more than a century and a half. Developed in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota State Fair Foundation, the center reflects the progression of change at the fair. Exhibits bring to life the significant events, intriguing stories and inspiring traditions that have laid the foundation for the present-day Great Minnesota Get-Together. This center is free with fair admission and open daily during the State Fair from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Want to take in history throughout the fairgrounds? Created in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota State Fair Foundation, the Minnesota State Fair History Walking Tour consists of various stops that focus on a particular subject. During the fair, you can pick up a brochure at the Minnesota Historical Society booth or any of the 12 stops located around the fairgrounds.
Prefer to flip pages? Recommended books on the State Fair are Blue Ribbon: A Social and Pictorial History of the Minnesota State Fair by Karal Ann Marling; Minnesota State Fair: An Illustrated History by Kathryn Strand Koutsky and Linda Koutsky; History of the Minnesota State Agricultural Society by Darwin S. Hall and R.I. Holcombe; and Minnesota State Fair, The History and Heritage of 100 Years by Ray P. Speer and Harry J. Frost.
Minnesota State Fair Foundation
Despite the fair’s long and successful history, there is a need for new funds to improve aging facilities and provide educational programming while retaining traditions. In 2002, community leaders established the Minnesota State Fair Foundation 501(c)(3) as the nonprofit fundraising entity with the mission to preserve and improve the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and support State Fair agricultural, scientific and educational programs.
