Our design for the ESC created a 365-day attraction and vibrant civic amenity to Sacramento’s City Center. Our design approach envisioned a uniquely urban-friendly arena where we created a design that “pulls apart” the functions and circulation of the typical arena and uses those elements to suture the immediate neighborhood back together.  

The mild and consistent climate of Sacramento allowed us to design a venue that significantly capitalizes on an inside-outside relationship of spaces within the building. Concourses flow from inside through large sliding glass walls to landscaped outdoor decks that effectively become outdoor club and amenity spaces. Concession areas and team or event retail shops are placed outside the arena in certain areas ensuring use and activity 365 days-a-year.  

Like New York’s High Line, we envision turning an urban relic (the mall) into a thriving urban venue, surrounded by a spiraling series of parks, water features, and walkways that will create a unique-in-the-world urban destination with the import and vitality of Chicago’s Millennium Park or Seattle’s Olympic Sculpture Park. By in effect “pulling the event outside” we were able to activate the surrounding area creating significantly enhanced real estate value in the neighboring parcels. Rather than an internally focused sports arena, we envision the multi-purpose performance venue as the beating heart at the center of a mixed-use sports, entertainment, arts and cultural destination. 

PROJECT STATISTICS
LOCATION: Sacramento, California
CLIENT: Fulcrum Properties
SIZE: 18,500 seats
YEAR: 2013
COST: $290 Million
PROJECT TYPE: Arena, Sports-Anchored District, Interior Design & Branding, Sponsor Integration & Activation