premium clubs under the seating bowl on the east and west sides of the floor have direct connections to courtside seats. club has a large centre bar with a floor-to-ceiling video wall, hanging lighting fixture, DJ booth and dance floor. HOK’s design transformed what had been a practice court into a new event-level, courtside club called Club 1968 (the first year the Suns played in the NBA). To help make room for these new spaces, the Suns moved their practice court and 40,000 square feet of basketball training and operations space to a new standalone facility in Phoenix. The renovation reimagines the seating bowl while adding a variety of new clubs, premium seating options, amenities and upgraded food service. The original arena had two levels of nearly identical suites between the upper and lower seating decks. Fans access the club from an escalator in the new entry pavilion. Themed details include custom barstools made from horse saddles, a wall of whiskey barrels and decorative tin ceiling tiles. On the first suite level along the arena’s north side, the design has converted an existing club into a country-western bar with views down to the seating bowl and a stage that supports live music. Two themed corner bars inside the seating bowl off the main concourse provide a new place for all ticketholders to socialize and take advantage of ‘Instagrammable moments.’ In addition to giving patrons views into the event and new scoreboard, this made the previously narrow main concourses feel much more spacious. To help fans feel more connected to the events, HOK’s design removed the seats in two corners of the lower bowl behind the stage. Opening Up the Concoursesįans moving through an arena’s concourses want to get glimpses of the action on the court or stage. The Pavilion also has a new entrance to the expanded Suns team store. ![]() To feed off the energy of the fans, the Fox Sports Arizona broadcast booth now resides in this new heart of the arena. ![]() Suns owner Robert Sarver has said that the large sports bar anchoring the pavilion, where fans can gather before and after events, is the “best sports bar in Phoenix.” The Pavilion’s focal point is an 8,500-sq.-ft., interactive LED video wall that can be programmed with dynamic content for each event and to support corporate partners. In a marked change from the arena’s fortress-like feeling before the project, this video wall glows like a beacon and is visible from several blocks away.įour new escalators in this Pavilion improve circulation to upper levels of the building. Fans walking into the Pavilion immediately experience clear views through the concourses all the way into the new center-hung scoreboard. To do this, the design removed one of the arena’s four primary stair towers and a concrete wall separating this lobby from the seating bowl. HOK’s design creates a new main entry and grand lobby here-branded the Casino Arizona Pavilion-that welcomes fans into a celebratory space. Yet that project had not taken the next step and connected this space to the concourses. ![]() A Grand Entry ExperienceĪ 2003 renovation had added an air-conditioned glass atrium with views of the downtown skyline to the northwest side of the arena. HOK’s design challenge was how to transform a compact building with low ceilings, tight concourses, minimal amenities (compared to modern standards) and an ageing infrastructure into a state-of-the-art, open venue that would provide an exceptional experience for all fans.īefore starting the project, design team leaders took Suns executives on a tour of State Farm Arena in Atlanta, where HOK had designed a nearly $200 million, “basketball-first” renovation that opened in 2018. When done right, adapting existing buildings for reuse is a more sustainable approach than demolishing a structure and constructing a completely new facility.Īll these factors contributed to the Suns’ decision to save and revitalize the arena. The two venues share a parking structure. Across the street to the east is Chase Field, home to MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks. A light rail system that opened in 2008 includes two nearby Valley Metro Rail stations. The arena sits on a prime location anchoring the southern edge of Phoenix’s Central Business District. Because fans could enjoy such an intimate experience, it remained one of the NBA’s best seating bowls for watching a game. The original facility had been designed as a basketball-first venue, with seats much closer to the court than those designed to accommodate hockey, which requires more space inside. The Suns’ first decision was whether to renovate the arena, which was one of the NBA’s smallest and oldest, or build a new one.
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