A New Arena

[JeffQ78]

Hi Everybody

Lets have some fun,

Post on this thread what you want the new arena to look like or what you'd like to see it include and I'll draw a 3-D model of it. Its that simple. I am an engineering student at the university on co-op so I have extra free time and I'd actually like to see what you as a collective board would like to see what a new arena ook like.

As you post here, I'll render it in AutoCAD Inventor and post screen shots. If you have a contradicting opinion to what it should look like, just explain why and I'll modify/expound on the drawing. I've always been a visual guy and after all this talk on the board, I'd like to see what it would look like.

[odhgibo]

Interior, exterior, or either?

[tbozeglav]

Honestly, I believe keeping with the current design of a glass/steel/brick design similar to the Student Union, Infocision Stadium, or the new dorms would look best.

[Kangaroo Craig]

I agree that they should stay with the current architecture that is evident with infocision, other buildings, but the only thing that really matters is seating capacity. Anything under 10,000 is a waste of money.

[Zips22]

I agree that they should stay with the current architecture that is evident with infocision, other buildings, but the only thing that really matters is seating capacity. Anything under 10,000 is a waste of money.

I disagree I think 7500 to 8000 would be perfect 10,000 would only fill up once or twice a year if that.

[Captain Kangaroo]

As a reference, below is the 3D model used for BGSU's new Stroh Center:

[JeffQ78]

mainly interior with set-up of stadium, capacity, ect. but can also inclue exterior

and @Captin Kangaroo I promise it will NEVER look anything like that

[odhgibo]

No more than 12 seats per row.

Sideline sections run from basket support-to-basket support, not farther into the corners. Maybe 30 rows per side. Seats end 3-6 feet above floor level.

Relatively shallow bowl, with entrances from concourse about 2/3 the way up. Concourse should be street level.

Angled corner sections, with tunnels under scoreboards and seats above. Level of seats in corners continues across ends; this will give 15-20 rows on everything but the sides.

Only "seats" below concourse level on ends are bleachers for students, band, etc.

Mezzanine with no more than 8 rows, overhanging the 1/3 of sides that are above concourse and both ends. Club/lounge along the back/top of one side.

Minimal press row; move them upstairs, perhaps built into the bottom of the mezzanine on one side.

Have fun.

[lance99]

Here is what I would like to see:

-Something around 7-8000 for seating

-I would even go 2 level(larger lower bowl and short upper bowl design to be curtianed off for smaller events)

-something with a low ceiling. I say that because of creating a noise factor. There has to be some type of coating that is light that you can put aroung metal that reflects sound.

-Seating that puts you right on top of the action.

-for the exterior, I agree with Kangaroo Craig.

[Blue & Gold]

At least 8,000 seating capacity but no more than 10,000.

4 levels: 1: lower bowl, 2: loges, 3: club level, 4: upper bowl

At least 3 main entrances. Escalators.

Brick, glass & steel.

The exterior of U of Rhode Island's Ryan Center is awful, but I love the interior layout (sans the corner scoreboard - not shown in the below link).

Ryan Center

[odhgibo]

What I was thinking of was a modified version of Williams Arena. Get rid of the elevated floor, increase the pitch of the lower bowl, move the entrances a little higher up the sides, and get rid of the 3rd level.

Williams seats a little over 14,000. Getting rid of the 3rd level and losing a few seats in the corners should take that down to about 8000, no?

[MontrealExposloveZippy]

Beer station with 10 taps right when you walk through the main entrance

[Spin]

At least 8,000 seating capacity but no more than 10,000.

4 levels: 1: lower bowl, 2: loges, 3: club level, 4: upper bowl

At least 3 main entrances. Escalators.

Brick, glass & steel.

The exterior of U of Rhode Island's Ryan Center is awful, but I love the interior layout (sans the corner scoreboard - not shown in the below link).

Ryan Center

I like that in that it has floor space for other uses, and you could probably seat around 10,000 for end-stage events. The upper tier can be closed off for smaller crowds. You can use this building a lot of dates.

This school has roughly 19,000 enrollment, in a much smaller market, and has had standing room only at games.

[Class of 82]

I like the idea of a two-level facility with the concourse/concessions/restrooms, etc., at street level.

I'm totally not down with loges/club level/press box separating the upper seats from lower bowl. I would hope we'd learn our lesson from that idiotic track that needlessly ruins more than half the seats in the JAR. We need a place where all of the fans are as close as possible to the court. Capacity for 7,000 to 8,000. A decent team shop. Plenty of restrooms. Well-thought-out concessions areas. Easy to exit after games.

[ksu sucks]

Give court side seats for the ~1000 students who have been showing up for no-name teams and I will sleep well at night.

[Bubba4three]

No smaller than 8,000

No bigger than 10,000

Student seating is the biggest driver of overall arena atmosphere, IMO.

[powerofx]

I'm a little biased as a Xavier grad, but as an Akron native, I think something like Xavier's Cintas center would work well.

Cintas Center

10,250 seats seems right for attendance. The open end of the building has the student section...1,000 seats. 25 suites. There is a club lounge for the big donors you can't see in the picture. Behind the wall on the open end are athletics offices, a conference center, a dinning facility, and practice gym. In order to get the funding it could be positioned as a "convocation center" like Cintas without the staleness of the "multi-purpose JAR.

This format of the arena is good for mid tier concerts with floor seating and the stage at the open end...again another way to get funding...multiple events.

Oh...and you are welcome for us beating Memphis.

[zen]

I like the idea of a two-level facility with the concourse/concessions/restrooms, etc., at street level.

I'm totally not down with loges/club level/press box separating the upper seats from lower bowl. I would hope we'd learn our lesson from that idiotic track that needlessly ruins more than half the seats in the JAR. We need a place where all of the fans are as close as possible to the court. Capacity for 7,000 to 8,000. A decent team shop. Plenty of restrooms. Well-thought-out concessions areas. Easy to exit after games.

I agree that creating a mid teir for loges/press box is definitely not ideal for an arena as it pushes upper level up. That concept is fine for ballparks and stadiums.

One design concept that I think can be used in arenas is to cantilever the upper deck somewhat overlaping the lower. The last handful of rows of the lower level are actually under the upper level. This is good so long as the lower level seats still have a sight-line to the scoreboard, and it brings the upper level seats a bit closer to the action. It may, however necessitate a steeper slope in the upper level. Also, I suspect it has the drawback of increased construction expense.

[odhgibo]

I agree that creating a mid teir for loges/press box is definitely not ideal for an arena as it pushes upper level up. That concept is fine for ballparks and stadiums.

One design concept that I think can be used in arenas is to cantilever the upper deck somewhat overlaping the lower. The last handful of rows of the lower level are actually under the upper level. This is good so long as the lower level seats still have a sight-line to the scoreboard, and it brings the upper level seats a bit closer to the action. It may, however necessitate a steeper slope in the upper level. Also, I suspect it has the drawback of increased construction expense.

This is what I was trying to describe in my earlier post. Thanks for doing it better.

[JeffQ78]

If there was a one level loge/press box level wouldn't that allow for a greater overhang without limiting those seats in the lower section since at least in the press area they would ideally have the time inside the boxes? That would allow for the upper deck to be closer (horizontally) to the court.

Also it might just be me. When I look at Xavier's stadium, with that giant wall there, it feels like the wall is in the way. Personally I've never been there but the picture is not very flattering.

[powerofx]

If there was a one level loge/press box level wouldn't that allow for a greater overhang without limiting those seats in the lower section since at least in the press area they would ideally have the time inside the boxes? That would allow for the upper deck to be closer (horizontally) to the court.

Also it might just be me. When I look at Xavier's stadium, with that giant wall there, it feels like the wall is in the way. Personally I've never been there but the picture is not very flattering.

I dont disagree with you. i was just saying for funding purposes you have to be creative and adding the elements "behind the wall" is what opened up the funding. Here is an image of the closed end.

Here is the new arena at Saint Louis. They copied aspects of our arena after design crews visited but did a complete bowl and moved the suites to the upper deck. Makes for closer seats for regular seats but may have cost them on premiums for the suites...

It seats 10,600

[zen]

I like how the corner sections angle in... so there is less neck craning to watch the game

[GoZips88]

Love the St. Louis design and I think KD would too. I'm definitely for basketball-only with the crowd right on the action from all angles. No hockey! 8000-10000 would be my range.

[odhgibo]

Here is the new arena at Saint Louis. They copied aspects of our arena after design crews visited but did a complete bowl and moved the suites to the upper deck. Makes for closer seats for regular seats but may have cost them on premiums for the suites...

It seats 10,600

The SLU arena is close to what I was trying to describe in my earlier posting. It looks like college basketball to me. And, if it seats 10K+, the mezzanine level that I included in my earlier design description becomes pointless.

[Dave in Green]

The St. Louis arena (Chaifetz Arena) design is about perfect for college basketball, but pricey at $86.9 million in 2013 dollars. It's a wonderful Zips dream arena if UA could afford it.