Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, United States

NBBJ design for Pauley Pavilion renovation & expansion released
Images of NBBJ's design for the new-look Pauley Pavilion arena, a UCLA landmark for the last 45 years, and the home court of 38 NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) championship teams, have been released. Breaking ground in February 2010, construction is expected to complete in time for the 2012 - 2013 basketball season.

The renovation will provide the arena with over 55,000 sq ft of new lobby and concourse space as well as team and patron spaces and over 1,000 additional seats.

Four primary goals have been addressed by the design team: bringing the existing facility up to current codes, accessibility and seismic criteria; enhancing the home court advantage for UCLA Athletics by incorporating modern Division I competitive standards; providing state-of-the-art facilities; and to enhance the overall fan experience.

“Our design respects the historical significance of Pauley, both as a multipurpose building and as an athletic venue, while addressing its location within a busy and densely populated section of the campus,” said Scott Hunter, AIA Principal-in-Charge with NBBJ.

“We approached the challenge of transforming Pauley Pavilion in a way that celebrates the tradition of the building and UCLA’s Athletics programs, retains its multipurpose use, addresses its genuine needs, and gives the structure a new, forward-looking identity that actively engages the campus.”

The NBBJ design team carefully optimized the existing seating bowl by realigning seating sections to improve circulation in the bowl, eliminating existing sightline obstructions, and bringing spectators closer to the playing court. All new seats, a new lighting and sound system, LED ribbon board, and center-hung scoreboard will complete the transformation of the gameday experience.

The selected materials all complement the character of the original 1965 Welton Beckett design, which focused on economical use of materials and an industrial structural honesty, and simplicity. The exterior design integrates a terra cotta rainscreen system, high-performance glass curtain wall, frosted channel glass panels, glass overhead folding hangar doors and precast concrete panels. Care has been taken in the design to insure that the iconic existing roof trusses are visible from all sides, and a new lighting system is being integrated to highlight this signature feature of the building.
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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