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If you've ever watched a Denver Broncos home football game during a major snowstorm, you could have gotten the impression that Sports Authority Field was located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. So when the organization was looking for ideas to improve the fan experience, it was Colorado’s rugged mountain range that inspired the Mile High Mountain Village, a section of the lower concourse at the north end of the stadium where fans can get a true feel for the Colorado lifestyle.
The question remained: How do you bring the atmosphere of the Rocky Mountains to a stadium built of steel and concrete?
Pikes Peak, Mount Evans, the Flatirons, and even Red Rocks Park act as the background to the stadium, which got the Broncos’ marketing team thinking about how it could bring all of the colors and textures of the colorful Rocky Mountains together in the Village. The next step was to contact Environmental StoneWorks, a Denver-based stone manufacturer and installer.
“We were confident we could deliver the concept the Broncos were looking to achieve,” recalls Julie Griffin, sales leader for Environmental StoneWorks. “Our turnkey solution of manufacturing plus installation also gave the Broncos the confidence they needed that Environmental StoneWorks could complete the project within their very tight construction schedule.”
Contracting directly with Environmental StoneWorks, the Broncos' stadium management company agreed that Northwoods Mountain Ledgestone best represented all of the colors and shapes of the indigenous shale, siltstone, and sandstone from the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The stone veneer also enhanced the Village's wood paneling, which was recycled from pine beetle-destroyed Colorado forests.
“Very few wall coverings can be applied to concrete that are virtually maintenance-free and combine durability with economy,” Griffin says. “Not only did our stone complement the wood paneling, but its natural and realistic beauty created the warmth and feeling of walking through a snowy mountain village, bringing the Broncos’ vision to life.”
Open for the 2012-13 season, the Village opened on game days at 10:30 a.m. and featured Colorado-inspired concessions, including green chili from former Bronco Mark Schlereth and Terrell Davis’ barbecue sauce. “We’re ecstatic about it. Don’t think this has been done anywhere in the NFL,” said a Broncos vice president of sales and marketing in an interview at the beginning of the 2012-13 season.
“I’ve been a Broncos season-ticket holder for almost a decade now, and I was impressed the first time I walked through the Village,” says Geno Dominguez, a manager for Environmental StoneWorks and serious Broncos fan. “The stone on the walls and pillars made the whole area richer in color and texture. It’s amazing how stone veneer can transform an interior or exterior surface. I’m so glad my company played a key role in creating this new experience for Bronco fans.”
For more information on how you can make your vision a reality on your next project, visit www.estoneworks.com or contact our sales department at 1-800-891-5402.
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