Who would have ever thought that one little locker room commission could turn into so much.
"We've done a number of projects for the University," VMDO principal architect Bob Moje said. "One of the first projects we did for the athletic department at the University was a renovation of the basketball locker rooms. We transformed an ugly little place in the bottom of U-Hall into a pretty nice locker room."
VMDO's next commission for the athletic department is, to say the least, a little larger in scope -- they will create the future home of the Cavaliers. The new University of Virginia multi-purpose arena, due for completion around the spring of 2006, will blend the University's Jeffersonian architecture with modern amenities for the players, events and fans.
The project, a joint venture between VMDO Architects, Ellerbe-Becket and Barton-Marlow Inc., will follow the long line of successful ventures between VMDO and the University. Scott Stadium, University Hall, Klöckner Stadium and the baseball field all have benefited from the services of this Charlottesville- based firm.
The project's progress was spurred on by an anonymous gift of $20 million in June 2001, and VMDO and Ellerbe-Becket were hired that September.
"When the basketball arena came along right on the heels of our success with the Scott Stadium renovation, it was good for us," Moje said.
Alumnus Paul Tudor Jones donated another $20 million in October 2001.
The two gifts combined allowed the project to borrow bonds to finance half of the project, and funds generated by the project itself produced the rest. Soon after, Barton-Marlow was hired in February 2002, specifically aiding financial management and expected to lead construction in early 2003.
"These associations are a growing trend in architecture, a project of this size takes a team effort," Moje said. "They have done more than half of the new NBA arenas, they also did Maryland's new Comcast Center."
The melding of the classic Jeffersonian style architecture with a modern college basketball program drove the research that went into the project.
"We don't want a generic seating bowl arena," Moje continued. "What we're trying to do is create an atmosphere that is distinctly the University of Virginia. This is a 365-day, seven day a week backdrop that is intended to recall images of the Lawn and what makes this such a great public university."
The new arena will use a horseshoe as the foundation for its design. Moje, who visited 17 college basketball arenas a year before the project was announced, examined the Citnas Center Arena at Xavier but thought more could be done with the design.
"The idea of a horseshoe arena gives a surface very close to the court," Moje said. "This makes a court very intimidating and creates a home court advantage."
The new arena, which will occupy the parking lot across from U-Hall on Massie Road, will seat 15,000 people. Of these seats, up to 3,500 will be devoted to students. The upper bowl will hold 8,917 people and the lower bowl will hold 6,142. The structure will include dining facilities on three floors, a team store, possibly an academic advisory center, various premium seats, practice courts, offices, training rooms, club space and a 1,500 car parking garage.
"It is certainly something tangible," men's basketball coach Pete Gillen said. "It'll be a big boost to the program. The students here have been phenomenal. They don't get as many seats as in other places."
The new arena, while primarily devoted to the basketball program, will be able to house other events such as concerts or public forums.
"The basketball program is the engine that fuels the project," Moje said. "But this facility is intended to be a venue where you can have other high profile things."
He noted that the proposed arena complements administrators' plans for the University's future.
University President John T. Casteen III's "vision for this is right on target," he said. "They have a vision on where the University wants to go and that is to be the absolute number one university in the United States -- to do that it takes certain high profile things.
"This is clearly not just a basketball arena. The road being put in helps the overall University circulation. This is the first real road designated as the front door entrance to the University of Virginia," he added.
Moje refers to the connector between the arena and Route 250 bypass -- a road that leads the Cavaliers to a new home-court advantage.
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