The NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks have many mottos attached to them — like “Green and Growing,” “Bucks in Six,” and “Fear the Deer” — but the team pushes one above all else.
Own the Future.
They certainly are trying to do that. Along with a young, exuberant group of players, the Bucks continue to move towards a new downtown Milwaukee arena that will keep them in the city.
This week, the Bucks released new renderings and project specifications for their arena and surrounding mixed-use entertainment district, a plan led by Populous along with Eppstein Uhen and HNTB.
The 714,000-sf arena is intended primarily for basketball but can also host hockey, concerts, and other events. Upper and lower levels will load from the top down for a more efficient seating pattern, and fans will be able to watch the action from the concourses.
The building will have a hand-crafted zinc and glass exterior. A massive glass curtain wall will bring light and views into the atrium. The arced long-span roof will be clad in pre-patina zinc shingles, with six vertical glass “ripples” that allow light in.
Perhaps intentionally, the building’s shape seems to honor Milwaukee’s heritage.
This new Bucks arena render looks kind of like a beer barrel on its side, to which I say PERFECT pic.twitter.com/Snb0POgPcR
— Frank Madden (@brewhoop) March 17, 2016
The 30-acre mixed-use development will have restaurants, bars and other entertainment based uses, including a plaza with a translucent canopy above it.
The NBA mandated that the Bucks needed a new arena secured or else they would be sold to the league and potentially relocated. The team’s current home, the BMO Bradley Center, was built in 1988. The new arena project was announced last April and the Wisconsin state assembly approved the plan last July.
The entire plan will cost about $1 billion, half for the arena and half for the development. The arena is expected to be ready for the 2018-19 season, and the district, which will also add hotels, offices, and condos, will be built over the next 10 years.
The Bucks are also building a new training facility.
Related Stories
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Sep 25, 2015
Italian soccer stadium designed to look like translucent waves
Architect Massimo Guidotti created a sinuous design for the stadium, which can support up to 16,000 seats.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Sep 21, 2015
Tokyo Olympic Stadium saga ends for Zaha Hadid
After resubmitting a bid, the firm will not design the main venue for the 2020 Olympics after all.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Sep 2, 2015
Proposed stadium for NFL's St. Louis Rams offers more than just football
The stadium's newest features have been unveiled by HOK, which could give the Rams one of the most inventive homes in the league—if it gets built.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Aug 24, 2015
Green Bay Packers to start construction on a business district near Lambeau Field this fall
Flush with cash, the NFL team is kicking in about half of the $130 million for the 20-acre project’s first phase.
Industrial Facilities | Aug 18, 2015
BIG crowdfunds steam ring prototype for Amager Bakke power plant project
The unusual power plant/ski slope project in Copenhagen will feature a smokestack that will release a ring-shaped puff for every ton of CO2 emitted.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Aug 5, 2015
The world’s longest ski slope will be built in one of the world’s hottest cities
The words “skiing” and “desert” aren’t often used in the same sentence. But that’s changing in Dubai, which appears to be on a mission to have the “biggest” of everything.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jul 31, 2015
Zaha Hadid responds to Tokyo Olympic Stadium controversy
“Our warning was not heeded that selecting contractors too early in a heated construction market and without sufficient competition would lead to an overly high estimate of the cost of construction,” said Zaha Hadid in a statement.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jul 29, 2015
Milwaukee Bucks arena deal approved by Wisconsin state assembly
Created by Milwaukee firm Eppstein Uhen Architects and global firm Populous, the venue will be built in downtown Milwaukee. Its design draws inspiration from both Lake Michigan, which borders Milwaukee, and from aspects of basketball, like high-arcing free throws.
University Buildings | Jul 28, 2015
OMA designs terraced sports center for UK's Brighton College
Designs for what will be the biggest construction project in the school’s 170-year history feature a rectangular building at the edge of the school’s playing field. A running track is planned for the building’s roof, while sports facilities will be kept underneath.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jul 23, 2015
McKinney, Texas, dives into huge pool-and-fitness center project
Money magazine is the latest publication to rank McKinney, Texas, as the best place to live in the U.S. The city is trying to capitalize its newfound status to attract more residents and businesses, with amenities like this new recreation center.