Oilers new arena design

[Joborule]

That can't be a real proposal. It's way to out of wack and infeasible to be pulled off.

[FlaminFeva]

Fitting the Coilers and all their faithful would sit in a giant toilet bowl like the dirty turds they are.

[Walter Reed]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

Does that mean the ice is above ground level? Up in that bowl thingy?

It's my understanding the the ice surface would be on the buildings third level (above ground).

[MolsonInBothHands]

I immediately thought of these:

[Walter Reed]

Originally Posted by getbak

I can't imagine this thing ever being built.

Having the ice surface above ground level seems terribly impractical.

Where would the dressing rooms be? Where would the Zamboni park?

Ever hear of Madison Square Garden, its ice is above ground ...
Very imaginative design IMO ...

[Flames_Gimp]

its a little bit interesting. and i'm going to go against the common theme and say its not impossible to build it as is.

I hope the flames do a real ground breaking design on their new building.

[Hemmer]

I really don't think this building will get built.. especially in that location. This proposal by Gene Dub came out of the blue. It is located in Jasper East where there are already big redevelopment plans, which never did include an arena. LRT accessibility would probably be an issue at this location. I much prefer the Bacarat lands for a new arena. Also very interested in what HOK's design will look like.

[flip]

Originally Posted by tripin_billie

Fitting,

A giant toilet bowl for the giant turd of Canada!

Originally Posted by FlaminFeva

Fitting the Coilers and all their faithful would sit in a giant toilet bowl like the dirty turds they are.

FF, you sir are guilty of the worst of all Fatas. An in thread Fata. It was like the 3rd post too.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Walter Reed

Ever hear of Madison Square Garden, its ice is above ground ...
Very imaginative design IMO ...

Agreed on MSG, and agreed on imaginative. Good? Not so much, but definitely imaginitive.

Oh, and your signature is so much BS, btw.

[edmontonice]

Originally Posted by Hemmer

I really don't think this building will get built.. especially in that location. This proposal by Gene Dub came out of the blue. It is located in Jasper East where there are already big redevelopment plans, which never did include an arena. LRT accessibility would probably be an issue at this location. I much prefer the Bacarat lands for a new arena. Also very interested in what HOK's design will look like.

It's pretty much on top of the LRT...the walk from Churchill would be a couple blocks.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by gargamel

The ice surface at Madison Square Garden is above ground level, but having warm air under it can affect the ice quality there. That shouldn't be a problem in Edmonton though. I think the design is ugly, but since I don't have to look at it on a daily basis and only go there for a game or 2 per season, I'm all in favor of anything different and wacky.

Originally Posted by Walter Reed

Ever hear of Madison Square Garden, its ice is above ground ...
Very imaginative design IMO ...

I'll admit that I've never been inside the arena at MSG, but from what I've seen of it on tv and in pictures, the impression I get is that the ice surface is on the third floor of the building, but it isn't suspended 3 stories in the air. That's a significant difference.

The impression I get is that if you were at centre ice at MSG and walked to the Rangers' dressing room, it would be a very similar experience to walking from centre ice at the Saddledome to the Flames' dressing room. The inner workings of the arena are still the inner workings of the arena, just a few floors higher.

Manhattan has expensive real estate, so they built the arena on top of a theater and other venues, but the basic design of the arena is still pretty much the standard that you'll see in every NHL arena. As far as I can tell, there isn't anywhere in MSG that you can look up and see the bottom of the arena, like the Edmonton design implies would be possible.


My interpretation of what this design for the arena in Edmonton would be is that if you were on the ground floor and looked up, you would see the underside of the seating bowl in a tiered step design (like looking up at Devo's hats if you stuck them to the ceiling).

The best part of this design would be standing directly below centre ice and looking up to see the stepped concentric ovals as they grow larger and higher. For that effect to work, there can essentially be no "backstage" area on the arena floor level.

Look at this elevation drawing again and tell me: Where are the dressing rooms going to be? Where's the loading dock going to be? Where are the Zambonis going to park? Where will the Zambonis dump their snow? Where will the ice-making equipment be?




Innovative design is fine and dandy, but if it's not a functional arena, it's failed at its most important task.

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Raising the level of the floor to above grade makes handling load ins for concerts/ etc so much more difficult, as well, as you need ramps to get equipment up to the floor, all while wasting space above ground When the floor level is below grade, you can hide those support services from the public view, with a structure like this, hiding those support facilities would be impossible.

Yeah. This is essentially the point I was trying to make.

I'm not critiquing the design just because it's the Oilers and I want to trash them. I want the Oilers to have a great, state-of-the-art building, if for no other reason than to inspire the Flames to build something better.

[bluntus logicimus]

Dub owns the land on which this arena would supposedly be built (along with some other investors). He is just being a businessman, selling the virtues of the location with a dreamy concept. His location is not part of the six being considered for a downtown location.
Talk on the location has been circulating for months and the overwhelming favourite is the Baccarat Casino grounds, built across the street from an underground LRT station that has been roughed in underneath the new EPCOR tower. I think it's pretty much a done deal. Only question now is if the financing hasn't all dried up but I think the Rexall lease at Northlands doesn't expire until 2014 so there's probably enough time.
As for the design itself, I say kudos to Dub for something truly imaginative. I think the idea of a suspended ice surface is very cool but as others have pointed out here in Edmonton, a difficult logistical problem. The theme for the new arena is supposed to consider open streetfront access, no surface parking and inspired architecture. I think it's a decent effort that touches on all three points but it won't be built.

[Hemmer]

Originally Posted by edmontonice

It's pretty much on top of the LRT...the walk from Churchill would be a couple blocks.

Although Churchill station can be used, it wouldn't be the 'ideal' situation to have to walk a couple blocks from the LRT to the arena. Like bluntus logicimus indicated, a bacarat location is what I prefer.. with an underground LRT station situated directly across the street from the arena.

[1Nite]

This is gene dub work? The same clown that designed that but ugly city hall that was so went so over budget, and tried to talk mayer howie mandel into building falling over spires that cost $2 million as entrance signs. I hope other designes are better than this.

[t0rrent98]

bump.



http://edmontonjournal.com/sports/ho...-arena-is-nice

I'd like to check out this new arena one day, looks quite nice in that photo. I've a soon to be brother in law who is a Oilers fan so hopefully in the future we will check out a few games here and there in the new arena.

[Alberta_Beef]

you'd think the scoreboard would be one of the final touches

[polak]

damn you ken king.

[troutman]

Lots of room for throwing jerseys on the ice.

[The Yen Man]

Interior looks pretty good. Still not a fan of the exterior though. I think it's one of the uglier arena's in the league. I'm usually a huge fan of modern looking buildings, but I just can't seem to like the look of this one.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by troutman

Lots of room for throwing jerseys on the ice.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha