KC firm designed tallest structure of its kind in Allegiant Stadium for Super Bowl

Before the Chiefs step inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII, Kansas City’s presence has already been felt inside the stadium that opened in 2020.

No, this is not about the flag that a fan may or may not have buried underneath the stadium where the Raiders, an AFC West rival, play. It is also not about the fact that the Chiefs have yet to lose at Allegiant Stadium or that they are playing in a playoff game in Las Vegas before the Raiders have done so.

This is about the Al Davis Memorial Torch, the 93-foot structure honoring the late owner and general manager of the Raiders. The structure, built in 2020, was developed and designed by Kansas City-based Dimensional Innovations.

The torch, which is pending designation by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s tallest 3D-printed structure, is made of 226 3D-printed blocks made of carbon fiber, reinforced polycarbonate composite, each weighing approximately 350 pounds, according to the designer. The designer partnered with Ultratech Aerospace, a manufacturing company based in Kansas City, Kansas, to build the outer shell of the torch, which is made of metal.

The outer shell features over 1,000 aerospace-grade aluminum panels from Ultratech Aerospace, and was later robotically painted to show seamless reflectivity and the contrast between the Raiders logo and the base finish.

Dimensional Innovations has helped create designs for Kansas City International Airport’s new terminal, the Kansas City Current’s training complex and the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum.

“Our firm had never met a project of this scale or complexity,” Justin Wood, sports practice director of Dimensional Innovations, said in a statement. “In fact, nobody had. Our team worked relentlessly to develop, print, fabricate, test and install the memorial torch to ensure it conveys the symbolic flame that burns brightest in the Raiders organization.”

“We couldn’t be more excited for fans to experience this marvel from up close and afar during ‘The Big Game,’” Wood said.