As the Minnesota Vikings officially open the doors Sunday night to their shiny new stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium will prove to be something special. I was there in August when the doors first opened. Here are some observations as fans got their first look at the new Viking Castle as AC Milan took on Chelsea in a soccer match.

A quick word on the design of the building. Putting on my architect student hat, I can’t quite figure how to describe the stadium. Perhaps the most apt description, and the first one I came up with, is that it looks like a downed star destroyer from “Star Wars.”

It is one part shiny glass object, and two parts intimidating sharp edges. Walking up to the stadium, my heart rate rose. Trying to determine what that stemmed from — the excitement of the game or the large figure of the stadium — was pointless.

The plaza is an excellent place. Walking over the light-rail on the bridge (perhaps one of the most underrated design choices) drops you right into the plaza. A large expanse, it contains all the match day energy. The Viking ship at the corner was not finished yet, but even that looked nice.

I did not spend too much time outside, which was a pretty good idea. Sadly, the five 95-foot tall doors were not open on the warm day. Still, the entrance and entry area were filling, so after a quick look at the green field we went up to the seats.

Sitting halfway up on the upper bowl, sight lines were not too bad. A soccer pitch is slightly larger than a football field, and you could tell. The near sideline, mainly the corner, were hidden down below, an issue I ran into in Winnipeg also. The U.S. Women’s National Team played at the home of the Canadian Football League’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and again, the football sight lines don’t quite lineup.

Considering the fact the stadium cost over a billion dollars, I expected some higher quality all around. The seats were rather thin, and I wonder how long they will last. The bathrooms were disappointing as well. The budget did not include automatic sinks, or toilets? It may just be me, but that doesn’t scream “modern stadium.”

There is one glaring issue though. If you want a reminder of the greatness of the Metrodome, take a walk at halftime. Memories of old Twins games came flashing back. Trying to force your way through the gaggle of bodies that fill the concourses. At one point, there was no room to walk in between the craft beer vendor and the BBQ place.

This issue was also visible at the entry in the half hour before the game. From the comfort of my seat, I could see the entry concourse was absolutely packed. There was no room for movement because people were soaking in their first sights of the stadium instead of heading to their seats.

The redeeming factor though is the noise. Given the fact that most of the people there were neutrals (myself, a Manchester United fan disguised as a Chelsea leaning neutral), there was plenty of noise. If that came from groups of fans who had few connections with the teams, I can only imagine what it will sound like for a Viking game.

I will give a pass to the stadium on some of the issues, it was the first event after all. So teething issues were expected and they were not too major.

Overall, the best word to describe U.S. Bank Stadium is impressive. An absolutely huge structure, it will be a great place when filled with the proper energy on game day.