[News] UPD: Aug 4 released renderings of Event Centre in OP (+ new ext. renders in post #704)

[Flames_Gimp]

It's not too bad

[Coach]

Originally Posted by getbak

The Saddledome space seems like a perfect place for an outdoor stage/amphitheater to replace the Coke Stage and be available for a summer concert series.

If they did that, I think it would be nice if they could put a partial cover over the venue that mimicked the Saddledome roofline as a tribute. I'm thinking something similar to what they have in Millennium Park in Chicago.

This. Please do this.

That would be awesome.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Its unfortunate but not surprising that the slope of the seating bowl, particularly the lower sections, will result in inferior sight lines to what we have now in the Saddledome. The distance from most seats to centre ice in the Dome is much shorter than in most buildings. The sight lines in the Saddledome might be the best in the NHL.

As far as I can tell, the viewing angles in the new building will be virtually identical to what we have in the Saddledome.


I've posted this before...

A while back, someone here had a set of the original design blueprints for the Saddledome and was kind enough to share them. When the designs for the new building were first posted, I decided to overlay the Saddledome plans on the new building and was surprised to see how much they matched up.

Spoiler!

On this image, the red area is the original (pre-1995 renovation) layout of the Saddledome seating bowl. The darker is the original lower bowl and the lighter is the original upper bowl. The dark line around the lower bowl of the Saddledome is the top of the retractable seats that go around the bowl. As it happens, this is also where the lower suites were built during the 1995 renovation.

The blue side of this image is the layout for the new building. The dark is the lower bowl, the light is the upper bowl, and the green are the suites.

As you can see, the lower bowl of the new building is slightly bigger than the original lower bowl of the Saddledome (and significantly bigger than the current configuration) and the upper bowl will be slightly smaller (and significantly smaller than what we have now).


----------

The most-recent drawings for the new building also include interior height information, so I decided to compare those to the Saddledome as well (spoiler for size)...

Spoiler!

Fortunately, both documents give the dimensions in mm, so it's easy to compare.

Here are the various elevations (all relative to the ice level at 0m):

Saddledome:

• Ice: 0m
• Lower Suites (Ground)*: 4.5m
• Main Concourse: 9.0m
• Mid-Concourse Mezz: 12.32m
• Upper Suites: 21.22m
• 300 walkway: 25.82m
• Top of 300: 37.22m
• Top of Saddle: 40.25m / 35.75m above ground

* In the 1995 renovation, the lower level suites and Club concourse were built where there was originally an Event Level Mezzanine.

Also note that the renovation didn't change most of the seats in the building. It just shifted about 10 rows of seats from the top of the lower bowl to the bottom of the upper bowl.


New Building:

• Ice: 0m
• Main Concourse (Ground): 6.575m
• Club Mezz: 11.425m
• Premium Level (Suites): 15.295m
• Upper Concourse: 20.73m
• Top of Upper Bowl: 28.57m
• Balcony/Press Level: 31.82m
• Top of Parapet: 43.42m / 36.845m above ground

What this all means is if you're sitting at centre ice in the highest seat in the upper bowl, you'll be 28.57m above ice level. This is less than 3m higher than the equivalent seat in the third row of the 300 level of the Saddledome.

Both seats are approximately 51m "horizontally" from centre ice. That means your straight-line (diagonal) distance from the highest seat in the new arena to centre ice will be 58.5m and the same for the third row of the 300 level at the Saddledome is 57.2m. Less than 1.5m difference (about 2%), if my math is correct.

[Knightslayer]

Tell us you're an engineer without telling us you're an engineer.

[Manhattanboy]

Originally Posted by getbak

* In the 1995 renovation, the lower level suites and Club concourse were built where there was originally an Event Level Mezzanine.

Also note that the renovation didn't change most of the seats in the building. It just shifted about 10 rows of seats from the top of the lower bowl to the bottom of the upper bowl.

By relocating the 10 rows from the top of the original lower bowl to the bottom of the new upper bowl, those rows were moved closer to centre ice.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

By relocating the 10 rows from the top of the original lower bowl to the bottom of the new upper bowl, those rows were moved closer to centre ice.

Were they? I'd think the opposite was true, since they were moved higher up but not forwards.

[Voodooman]

Originally Posted by getbak

The Saddledome space seems like a perfect place for an outdoor stage/amphitheater to replace the Coke Stage and be available for a summer concert series.

If they did that, I think it would be nice if they could put a partial cover over the venue that mimicked the Saddledome roofline as a tribute. I'm thinking something similar to what they have in Millennium Park in Chicago.

The rumour is that the Coke Stage is moving to the spot where the Indian Village used to be, just south of the river, which seems like an ideal spot. Will up the capacity to 4-5K.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by getbak

As far as I can tell, the viewing angles in the new building will be virtually identical to what we have in the Saddledome.


I've posted this before...

A while back, someone here had a set of the original design blueprints for the Saddledome and was kind enough to share them. When the designs for the new building were first posted, I decided to overlay the Saddledome plans on the new building and was surprised to see how much they matched up.

Spoiler!

On this image, the red area is the original (pre-1995 renovation) layout of the Saddledome seating bowl. The darker is the original lower bowl and the lighter is the original upper bowl. The dark line around the lower bowl of the Saddledome is the top of the retractable seats that go around the bowl. As it happens, this is also where the lower suites were built during the 1995 renovation.

The blue side of this image is the layout for the new building. The dark is the lower bowl, the light is the upper bowl, and the green are the suites.

As you can see, the lower bowl of the new building is slightly bigger than the original lower bowl of the Saddledome (and significantly bigger than the current configuration) and the upper bowl will be slightly smaller (and significantly smaller than what we have now).


----------

The most-recent drawings for the new building also include interior height information, so I decided to compare those to the Saddledome as well (spoiler for size)...

Spoiler!

Fortunately, both documents give the dimensions in mm, so it's easy to compare.

Here are the various elevations (all relative to the ice level at 0m):

Saddledome:

• Ice: 0m
• Lower Suites (Ground)*: 4.5m
• Main Concourse: 9.0m
• Mid-Concourse Mezz: 12.32m
• Upper Suites: 21.22m
• 300 walkway: 25.82m
• Top of 300: 37.22m
• Top of Saddle: 40.25m / 35.75m above ground

* In the 1995 renovation, the lower level suites and Club concourse were built where there was originally an Event Level Mezzanine.

Also note that the renovation didn't change most of the seats in the building. It just shifted about 10 rows of seats from the top of the lower bowl to the bottom of the upper bowl.


New Building:

• Ice: 0m
• Main Concourse (Ground): 6.575m
• Club Mezz: 11.425m
• Premium Level (Suites): 15.295m
• Upper Concourse: 20.73m
• Top of Upper Bowl: 28.57m
• Balcony/Press Level: 31.82m
• Top of Parapet: 43.42m / 36.845m above ground

What this all means is if you're sitting at centre ice in the highest seat in the upper bowl, you'll be 28.57m above ice level. This is less than 3m higher than the equivalent seat in the third row of the 300 level of the Saddledome.

Both seats are approximately 51m "horizontally" from centre ice. That means your straight-line (diagonal) distance from the highest seat in the new arena to centre ice will be 58.5m and the same for the third row of the 300 level at the Saddledome is 57.2m. Less than 1.5m difference (about 2%), if my math is correct.

Thanks for that, getbak.

I am currently inside the blue line, in the first few rows of the second deck.
So if I am reading the diagrams correctly, an equivalent seat in the new building would be near the back of the first section - do you agree?

About in the green area (whatever that is)

[FBI]

Originally Posted by Shazam

I love the new library. Looks great inside and outside, it's really fun inside actually and there's a ton of rooms/quiet areas.

But the SPF they used throughout is going to get wrecked real bad.

Did they cheap out with SPF-10?

[Iceman90]

In many large cities in the US, there are at least two arenas. One big one and one (or more) smaller one which allows for different shows of different sizes in the city, and multiple events on the same night.

The new Events Centre will be our big 18,000+ arena. But with the Saddledome gone and the Corral gone, what will be the smaller venues available in Calgary? Grey Eagle? Winsport?

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Thanks for that, getbak.

I am currently inside the blue line, in the first few rows of the second deck.
So if I am reading the diagrams correctly, an equivalent seat in the new building would be near the back of the first section - do you agree?

About in the green area (whatever that is)

The green area is the suites in the new arena.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Joborule

The green area is the suites in the new arena.

I doubt my seats will improve with the transfer, so I guess that means I'll get tossed into the second tier.

[drewtastic]

Originally Posted by calgarywinning

Tried this out. Looks more like a chat bubble waiting for the words "Edmonton = No Good"

[Heavy Jack]

Hahahahahahahahaha

[RM14]

Originally Posted by Iceman90

In many large cities in the US, there are at least two arenas. One big one and one (or more) smaller one which allows for different shows of different sizes in the city, and multiple events on the same night.

The new Events Centre will be our big 18,000+ arena. But with the Saddledome gone and the Corral gone, what will be the smaller venues available in Calgary? Grey Eagle? Winsport?

The McMahon/Foothills redevelopment has a mid sized arena in the concept.

[Demzy84]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Thanks for that, getbak.

I am currently inside the blue line, in the first few rows of the second deck.
So if I am reading the diagrams correctly, an equivalent seat in the new building would be near the back of the first section - do you agree?

About in the green area (whatever that is)

I’m curious about this too, I’m row 6 in Sec 224, and looking at the diagram I either see myself right before the suites or first row of the 2nd balcony. Be interesting to see what it ends up being

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Going in front of the Planning Commission right now

https://twitter.com/user/status/1461476791126740994

https://twitter.com/user/status/1461477595669696522

I could live with this. Kind of looks like WEM.

My main concern for any new arena in the area is how "Flood-proof" it would be after the 2013 situation. Has there been any comments on zoning or engineering to deal with another situation like that?

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Thanks for that, getbak.

I am currently inside the blue line, in the first few rows of the second deck.
So if I am reading the diagrams correctly, an equivalent seat in the new building would be near the back of the first section - do you agree?

About in the green area (whatever that is)

Originally Posted by Demzy84

I’m curious about this too, I’m row 6 in Sec 224, and looking at the diagram I either see myself right before the suites or first row of the 2nd balcony. Be interesting to see what it ends up being

It's hard to do a direct comparison because the Saddledome layout is so unique, but essentially, row 1 of the 200 level is about 15 rows from the ice. So, if you have seats in the first 10 or so rows of the 200 level now, the equivalent view will be in the upper part of the lower bowl in the new building.

The equivalent for row 6 of 224 will likely be about row 20 of the lower bowl in the new building.


On the graphic I posted, the green area is the suite overhang. The seating areas of each suite will actually overhang the top four or five rows of the lower bowl seats. So, if you have seats in those spots, you'd have a bit of a roof over your head.

Here's a photo from Rogers Place that shows how the suite seating overhangs the lower bowl a bit. It will be similar to that.

Spoiler!

If I am counting correctly, in the new building, there will be about 27 rows of seats in the lower bowl and about 14 rows in the upper bowl.

[Enoch Root]

row 20ish in the 1st bowl would suit me just fine

[Joborule]

So now that the the official groundbreaking is gonna be coming next month, how do we get them to name the arena the Telus* Corral to pay homage to the one knocked down for the BMO expansion? It also sticks with the Stampede/Western namesake theme as the Saddledome did. It'll be good to have character to the name rather than generically calling it centre/place/arena.

*Or whoever is gonna sponsor