SHoP Architects have completed an extensive renovation of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on New York’s Long Island.
The multi-purpose arena, which first opened in 1972, has hosted the likes of Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, Madonna and Bruce Springsteen over the years, as well as basketball and ice hockey fixtures, but gradually became outdated and was closed in 2015.
SHoP were brought in to re-conceive the look and feel of the structure as part of a US$165m (€54.7m, £132.6m) renovation project.
Tasked by the client, real estate firm Forest City Ratner, with creating “a reimagined sports and entertainment village”, the design team decided to retain the strong massing of the 416,000sq ft arena, while at the same time transforming it within an intricate enclosure of 4,700 brushed aluminum fins.
“Each of the elements in this system varies slightly in profile and dimension to create a subtle flow that reflects the big skies of the flat Long Island landscape,” said the architects in a statement. “The materiality of the design evokes the area's history and references the Spirit of St. Louis, the single-seat plane flown by Charles Lindbergh, which departed a nearby airfield for the first non-stop solo transatlantic flight in 1927.”
Interior renovations were carried out by Gensler, including a refreshed concourse, a redesigned main entrance, all new seating, improved bowl circulation, an enlarged high definition LED scoreboard and revamped bathrooms and concessions.
The Coliseum will be home to the Brooklyn Nets’ National Basketball Association Development League affiliate, the Long Island Nets.
“Our goal was to create a space that reflected the tremendous sense of place that permeates Long Island, from the look of the building, to the taste of the food,” said Bruce Ratner, executive chair of Forest City Ratner.
“Our talented architectural and development team have succeeded beyond our dreams, creating a venue that is visually striking and wonderfully comfortable. We’re excited about the opening and are looking forward to the ongoing development of this entertainment destination.”
The arena will host its first official event tomorrow (5 April) with a performance from Long Island local Billy Joel. Concerts by Stevie Nicks, Barbara Streisand, Metallica, The Weeknd and Bruno Mars are scheduled for 2017.
