By: Aj Mansour | KFAN.com
@AjKFAN

Minneapolis, MN - Now that HKS and the Minnesota Vikings have officially unveiled the new design for the Vikings stadium (scheduled to break ground this coming October) we can enjoy the fun of looking back at all the options and designs that weren't chosen to be the official final design. Take a look at the images below and let us know which design you like best in the poll at the bottom. Did the Vikings choose the correct design for their new stadium?

ACTUAL STADIUM DESIGN:

Failed Design #1:

Designed by Ewing Cole

Failed Design #2:

Designed by AECOM

Failed Design #3:

Designed by AECOM

Failed Design #4:

Designed by Ewing Cole

Failed Design #5:

Designed by Populous (designers of Xcel Energy Center, Target Field & TCF Bank Stadium)

Failed Design #6:

Designed by Populous

Failed Design #7:

Designed by HNTB

Failed Design #8:

Designed by HNTB

Failed Design #9:

Designed by HKS Architects

Failed Design #10:

Designed by HKS Architects

Aj Mansour covers Minnesota Sports for KFAN.com. Feel free to leave comments and questions regarding this post in the space provided below. For Vikings' updates and breaking Vikings' news, follow Aj on Twitter. @AjKFAN

By: Aj Mansour | KFAN.com
@AjKFAN

Minneapolis, MN - With a crowd of nearly 1,100 fans and local dignitaries on hand, the Minnesota Vikings (in association with HKS Sports & Entertainment and the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority) unveiled the design renderings for their nearly $1 Billion ($975 million) football stadium Monday night at the Guthrie Theater in downtown Minneapolis.

The stadium (pictured above) features a mix of technological innovations mixed with modern design and LEED (Leading in Energy and Environmental Design) certified features. While the retractable roof did not make it into the final design, the stadium features an angled roof that will include the largest clear ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) roof that will allow sunlight and natural heat through during events in the stadium.

"We think clear is the new retractable," HKS official Bryan Trubey said during Monday's presentation. "The design reflects the true story of the Minnesota community with its international style driven by climatic response and energy conservation. The interior volume makes it the most versatile, multi‐use building in the country with the most advanced digital age technology."

The new facility will however feature a retractable feature. Facing the downtown Minneapolis skyline, the western wall will feature 95-foot pivoting glass doors that will allow nature air flow through the stadium on warm weather days. The doors, the largest such feature in the world, will be the first of their kind in the United States of America.

Throughout the design process, HKS identified four major influencers that shaped the functional form and architecture of the building: climate, geography, history of important civic structures and technology.

The new stadium will be capable of hosting more events than any other large stadium in the world. Despite its versatility, the stadium’s football configuration puts the fans closer to the field than in any other NFL stadium.

Trubey went on to call the new Vikings stadium "the most versatile structure on the planet."

Current plans open the new stadium up for use by the Super Bowl, MLS soccer, NCAA basketball and baseball, high school sporting events, motocross, concerts, conventions, marching band competitions, monster truck rallies and much more.

The 1.6 million square foot structure (nearly twice the size of the Metrodome) will house 65,000 seats and will be expandable to 73,000 for The Super Bowl and other large scale events.

Seven levels will include 125 suits and 7,500 club including both suites and clubs on the field level.

Two 50 foot by 120 foot high definition screens will be placed on either end of the stadium and over 1,200 HD flat screen televisions will be placed throughout the concourse and club levels.

On hand for the evening's festivities, Vikings center John Sullivan shared his excitement at seen the new design.

"It's awesome," Sullivan said. "As a tax paying resident of the State of Minnesota, this seems like a good way to spend our tax dollars."

Officials will break ground on the new stadium project this coming October and the Metrodome is scheduled to be razed shortly after the end of the Vikings 2013 season. The new Vikings stadium is scheduled to open in time for the Vikings 2016 season.

Aj Mansour covers Minnesota Sports for KFAN.com. Feel free to leave comments and questions regarding this post in the space provided below. For Vikings' updates and breaking Vikings' news, follow Aj on Twitter. @AjKFAN

• Approximately 1.6 million square feet. 65,000 seats, including some of the closest in the NFL; expandable to 73,000 for a Super Bowl.
• Up to 125 suites and 7,500 club seats, including suites and clubs at the field level, some of which
  will put fans closer to the sideline than in any other NFL stadium.
• Seven levels, including two general admission concourses with 360‐degree circulation and
  various views into the bowl.
• Highest quality HD video boards in the NFL located in both the east and west end zones and
  video ribbon boards throughout the interior of the seating bowl.
• Over 1,200 HD flat screen televisions throughout the concourse for all fans in attendance to
  view the game.
• Capability to host more events than any other large stadium in the world, including NFL football
  and a Super Bowl, MLS soccer, NCAA basketball and baseball, high school sporting events,
  motocross, concerts, conventions, marching band competitions.
• Access points to the city and stadium site from all four sides of the stadium.
• Large west plaza (over two acres in size) for game day, non‐game day and seasonal public
  gatherings as a connection to the downtown corridor.
• Lightest and most efficient roof structure in the nation for a major new stadium, which will
  include a single large steel super truss providing primary support for the main long span roof.
• Largest clear ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) roof in the world and the first on a stadium in
  the nation, allowing connection to the outdoors from a climate‐controlled environment.
• Largest glass pivoting doors in the world that will open to the west plaza.
• Application for LEED‐certified status.
• Parking ramps with skyways from the north and south sides of the stadium and connections
  from the facility to the downtown skyway system.

CLICK HERE to see more pictures of the new Vikings Stadium!

By: Aj Mansour

While the official presentation at the Guthrie theater was running a little behind, Vikings.com posted images and a video fly-through of the new stadium!

CLICK HERE to see the video fly through.