- Arena: 6000 fixed seats + 1200 additional ones for special events
- Recreation centre: 270,000 square feet
- Budget: USD $97 million
- Tons of structural steel: 6,500
- Category: institutional
- Owner: Boston University
- Architect/Engineer: Cannon - Design & LeMessurier Consultants
- Client: BM/WBI Sports Partnership
- Detailing: Supermetal Structures & Structural Design BD
- Opening: April 2005
This project is made up of two distinct sections: the arena and the recreation centre. The arena was designed with the goal of maintaining the atmosphere of the former Walter Brown Arena building, and at the same time integrating several possible layouts with new equipment made possible by cutting-edge technology.
As the various maquettes and photographs of the project show, this building perfectly matches the urban environment of the area. The sports centre's elegance offsets its size. The exterior colors selected are consistent with those of other Boston University buildings to provide unity.
Inside, the architect relied on a light effect. Several structural steel elements were exposed to take advantage of steel's strength and lightness. The use of glass and various interior windows highlights this impression of delicacy, elegance and space.
Several technical goals had to be reached for the project to be a success. The roof trusses for the arena and swimming pool had to be designed with thermal considerations taken into account. In addition, since the roof structure is visible from the inside, it was essential that the quality, accuracy and aesthetics of the fabrication be faultless. To meet all these demands, the trusses were all pre-assembled in the factory to minimize rework. The installation itself required two large-capacity cranes as well as a third 250 Ti crane on tracks.