Saint-Gobain’s innovations touch almost every major industry around the world with materials produced by passionate people to solve complex challenges.
In Merrimack, our employees create innovative solutions that combine material science with processing technology. One of the best places to see this in action is with SHEERFILL® architectural fabric, which brings the open, airy feeling of the outside indoors, filling large sports complexes with natural daylight while providing comfort to athletes and fans alike. Some of the most iconic stadiums around the US and the world rely on SHEERFILL ® to make sure that what feels like an open air stadium is actually protected by the elements, while also providing a beautiful architectural backdrop to sporting events.
Two National Football League teams play under roofing materials manufactured in Merrimack. The iconic AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, is widely recognized around the world as an entertainment mecca. It has a seating capacity of up to 100,000 and is home to the one of the world’s largest high definition video screens, making it the ultimate in fan experience. The stadium has a retractable roof that was constructed in 2009 with 19,000 square meters of SHEERFILL. This roof is unique because it allows the stadium to maintain the look of its previous home, Texas Stadium, with its trademark hole, but can be covered when needed to protect against weather and other elements.
State Farm Stadium (formerly The University of Phoenix Stadium) located in Glendale, Arizona, is widely recognized as the home of the Arizona Cardinals. The stadium has played host to several events since its opening in 2006, including College Football National Championships, the Fiesta Bowl, and the marquee event of all sports – the Super Bowl. More than 30,000 square meters of SHEERFILL was used to build the inclined, retractable roof of this incredible stadium. NRG Stadium in Houston shares a similar retractable roof with more than 37,000 square meters of SHEERFILL.
For Major League Soccer fans, one needs to look no further than Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota to see Merrimack’s work. The stadium is wrapped in more than 100,000 square feet of SHEERFILL which protects the fans from the harsh Minnesota weather, while also allowing a view to the world outside of the stadium. Its use of the product allows for dramatic lighting effects from within, creating an iconic structure that is visible both day and night.
Built in 2009, Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, was built with more than 20,000 square meters of SHEERFILL and more than 5,000 square meters of Silver Shade Mesh material. And, in Dubai, UAE, home of the Al Nasr SC at Al-Maktoum Stadium, the 15,000 seat multi-purpose stadium is primarily used for soccer and hosted six games of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. The main roof of the stadium is a traditional membrane with about 10% light transmission, and the façade was comprised of SHEERFILL providing light transmission of 20%, and, for the inner ring of the roof, SHEERFILL ensures enough light reaches the grass pitch.
These are just a few of the many ways the world-class products made in Merrimack provide a sustainable, energy-efficient environment where world-class athletes can perform their best and achieve their dreams.
