Scotia Place’s street-level primary concourse is expected to draw significant foot traffic – whether or not people have an event ticket.HOK + Dialog
The Calgary Flames are the latest NHL hockey team to build an arena – an exorbitant, city-defining endeavour that the team’s owner says will be a game-changer.
Designed by U.S. sports-architecture firm HOK and Canadian architect Dialog, the new Scotia Place arena will replace Calgary’s 41-year-old Saddledome – the second-oldest venue in the NHL after Madison Square Garden.
“We’ve taken the best configurations we’ve seen in other facilities and, respectfully, we’re a level up from all of them,” says Robert Hayes, president and chief executive officer of Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp., the company that owns the Flames.
When completed in 2027, the $1.22-billion facility – located in Calgary’s Culture and Entertainment District – is set to redefine arena design with the latest trends: sustainable construction, including 603 solar panels, a high-performance building envelope and other energy-efficiency measures; dazzling architecture that blends with its surroundings and was consulted on by First Nations community members; a compact 18,400-seat bowl arena, brimming with premium experiences; an expansive concourse with state-of-the-art amenity technologies; and more.
Cutting-edge amenities
What’s of particular interest to Mr. Hayes are the arena’s coveted athlete amenities – such as an in-house practice rink with video analysis and biometric wearables, hyperbaric chambers and aquafit pools – that will help improve his team and attract top players.
Scotia Place’s prioritization of high-calibre practice facilities aligns with the NHL’s growing trend of luxurious training centres boasting the latest in sports and medical technology.
“The attention players pay to taking care of themselves has changed a lot,” Mr. Hayes says, suggesting that training centres with high-quality amenities “can go a long way” in attracting and retaining talent.
Mr. Hayes points to the Edmonton Oilers as an example. When the team played out of Edmonton’s Northlands Coliseum, built in 1974, its subpar facilities made it a challenge to woo players. Since moving into Rogers Place in 2016, the Oilers have brought in plenty of talent.
Many sports arenas are being transformed into multipurpose centres to drive return-on-investment and fortify their role as community hubs.HOK + Dialog
Another design feature that’s expected to attract talent and create a winning team is the unusually steep rake of the arena’s bowl. The sharp grade brings fans – even at top levels – close to the action, Mr. Hayes says.
“It will be really loud, with people cheering and getting excited, and this becomes a home-team advantage,” he adds, referring to the psychological benefit a home team gains over the visiting team. “What you want, in my opinion, is to configure an arena as a place where fans are so close to the players that the team can feel that energy.”
A hub for socialization
The arena’s most remarkable feature goes beyond the game. The fiery shimmer of the building exterior faces a welcoming gathering space in a move that emulates the ways today’s best stadiums are hubs for socialization.
The arena designers situated Scotia Place’s primary concourse at street level by submerging the stadium’s event and ice surface deep below the ground. The move makes it one of the NHL’s few underground arenas.
As accessible as any city block, Scotia Place’s main concourse exterior will display digital graphics and offer shopping opportunities and restaurant patio buzz – not just on event days, but every day.
Bring on the entertainment
While the Saddledome’s saddle-shaped design is iconic, it’s long been a limiting factor. That’s because sports arenas have moved away from being single-use venues to hosting events year-round.
Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena – home to the Maple Leafs and Raptors – hosts 50 per cent more concerts than sports games. However, these types of major events require roofs that are double the strength of the Saddledome’s sphere to rig speakers, lights and suspended stages.
The shape of the arena’s seating bowl is intended to make fans feel close to the players and deliver home-team advantages.HOK + Dialog
Dan Vaillant is the president of development at CAA ICON, one of North America’s premier stadium developers, which was contracted to manage the development of Scotia Place. He says the transformation of arenas into multipurpose centres is essential for return on investment and to fortify their role as engines of community investment.
“We are trying to build the best possible event centre for this city – and it just so happens hockey will be played in it,” Mr. Vaillant says. “We’re using arenas now as catalysts to reactivate downtowns.” He refers to Edmonton’s arena, which he also worked on: “We put Rogers Place in 12 blocks of a blighted area. And now it’s unbelievably vibrant.”
Reimagining future NHL arenas
Every new NHL arena offers innovations to replicate and get inspired by, says Nick Eaves, director of operations at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, which is in the middle of a $350-million “fan experience reimagination.”
Focused on luxury options and a concourse transformation that incorporates new technologies – such as a help-yourself concessions experience and wall-to-wall audiovisuals – the new designs take cues from arenas in Las Vegas, Detroit and Milwaukee, Wis., Mr. Eaves says.
All have embraced the notion that the action on the event floor is just one part of the experience – everything else is equally important.
“We’re certainly watching Calgary,” Mr. Eaves adds. “Obviously, it’s going to be a beautiful building. I’m sure we’ll steal a couple of their really good ideas and bring them to our arena over time.”