30 Jul 2019
NBA franchise LA Clippers reveals plans for US$1bn AECOM-designed arena
BY Tom Walker
The owners of NBA team LA Clippers have revealed detailed plans for a US$1bn indoor arena, to be built in the Inglewood district in Los Angeles, California.
Designed by a team including AECOM, Anderson Barker Architects, the City Design Studio of Los Angeles and Hood Studios, the development will include a "fan-focused" NBA arena for the Clippers, team basketball and business operations headquarters and a first-of-its-kind training centre tailored specifically for the requirements of NBA players.
The 18,500-seat arena will have a three-dimensional oval design with a unique exterior of diamond-shaped metal panels inspired by the concept of a basketball swishing through a net.
In addition to the aesthetics, the panels have been designed to provide solar benefit for maximum energy efficiency, as part of the facility’s LEED GOLD-certified design.
According to the architectural team, the facility’s most striking feature – intended to highlight the temperate climate of Southern California – is the integration of indoor/outdoor “sky gardens.”
These landscaped areas for food and beverage will be accessible from every concourse level.
The complex also envisions a multi-purpose plaza complete with a concert stage, community basketball courts and space for the community to gather and watch everything from Clippers Playoff games to movie premieres on a supersized LED screen.
The ambitious plans for The Inglewood Basketball & Entertainment Center are part of Clippers' owner Steve Ballmer's strategy to establish the franchise as a leading force in basketball.
“My goal is simple. I want the Clippers to have the best home in all of sports,” Ballmer said.
“What that means to me is an unparalleled environment for players, for fans, for sponsors and for the community of Inglewood. Our goal is to build a facility that re-sets fans’ expectations while having a transformative impact on the city we will call home.”
Construction is expected to begin in 2021 with an opening planned for 2024.
The project is expected to create an estimated 10,000 construction jobs and more than 1,500 permanent jobs, with local hire components in place to fill 30 per cent of available construction jobs with local labour and 35 per cent of the available arena operation jobs with local residents.
When completed, the complex will generate an estimated US$268m in economic activity for Inglewood annually and more than US$190m in new tax revenue from 2020-2045.
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