LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

THE ASK

This central feature of the new Allegiant Stadium ties together the past, present, and future of the Raiders. In recognition of Al Davis' enduring vision that "the fire that burns brightest in the Raiders' organization is the will to win,” this piece is a timeless tribute to the legacy as the Raiders' long-time owner, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, AFL Coach of the Year, AFL Commissioner, and the architect of the Raiders' Commitment to Excellence. The torch serves as the centerpiece of the north end of the stadium, where the massive lanai doors can open behind the torch to reveal a “billion-dollar view” of the Las Vegas Strip. 

Through close collaboration with the client, ASTOUND developed an eye-catching design for the massive torch flame featured in the main mezzanine of the Las Vegas Raiders Allegiant Stadium. Throughout the ideation and creative process, the concepts and curves of the flame were constantly reviewed by our in-house project designers and engineers to ensure the structural integrity and feasibility of the complex compound curve forms.

THE PROCESS

The ASTOUND team approached this concept by removing all boundaries from the design and engineering process. This allowed the best creative minds in the company to produce multiple versions of the eternal flame that went beyond the requirements. Throughout the design process, several key considerations had to be explored to ensure a successful build and install. Some of these considerations included the flexibility of LED products, installation and weight restrictions, and part tracking of the hundreds of unique components. Once the design was finalized, the project development team and ASTOUND’s engineering partners began to solution how this project could be successfully executed.

Using digital modeling tools during the design phase, each flame was broken down into smaller units that allowed for easier access and manipulation within our facilities. The largest of the flames was broken down into three smaller units that would allow it to fit within our fabrication facility and rest comfortably on the flatbed trucks used to transport these across North America for install. Breaking up the flames also ensured that the weights did not exceed the truck and crane limitations, ultimately reducing risk and error during transportation and on-site install. The sub frames for each flame was constructed from 7X 3/16” structural steel tubing with mounting points engineered to hold each piece together safely and securely. Next, the LED carrier frames were built separately using Grade 50 steel of varying thickness cut precisely to shape using digital cutfiles fed to the water jet and welded together according to templates generated using digital models. Both frames were then painted black to protect the steel from rust. The final metal components were the 16 gauge #4 brushed stainless-steel bezels which were also waterjet cut and brakeformed . Throughout the fabrication, each of the thousands of individual metal components were engraved with a unique part code to help assembly in the shop and on-site during install. Once the LED carriers were secured onto the sub-frames, the formidable task of installing 3,228 individual LED bars (16 different lengths) could begin, starting by aligning and drilling all the necessary holes for mounting using digitally fabricated templates originated in the 3D model . Because of the unique geometry and center of gravity for each flame, we engineered custom lifting rigs to counter the asymmetrical weight of the flame pieces and ensure a perfectly upright lift when lifting the finished flames onto the trucks and from the trucks into the torch base.