
The NHL’s Seattle Kraken and their fans are the benefactors of one of the most technologically advanced and efficient arenas ever built. Climate Pledge Arena, which opened in October 2021, is one of the first-ever net-zero carbon arenas in the world. The 740,000-square-foot facility’s name stems from Amazon’s naming-rights partnership, which enlists the facility in The Climate Pledge, a global initiative that commits signatories to net-zero carbon across their businesses by 2040.
Climate Pledge Arena is the focus of this issue’s Tech Roundup because it is a showcase of cutting-edge technologies and design that make for not only a facility, but also one that supports a second-to-none fan experience.
Double vision
Architecture firm Populous designed dual suspended arena scoreboards — a signature element of Climate Pledge Arena. The firm says the task required a thorough analysis of on-ice and on-court action for hockey and basketball, spectator and athlete sightlines, and flexibility for shows and concerts. The result is a pair of distinctly shaped video displays that place digital content in an ideal location for spectators, improving the atmosphere and connection between fans on opposite sides of the seating bowl.
Wayfinding the easy way
The arena boasts 28,175 square feet of digital signage incorporating 145 million total pixels. The immersive LED experience displays wayfinding, events and partner promotion throughout the user journey, as well as atmospheric imagery that is customizable for each event.Specifically, Daktronics supplied ample displays throughout the concourses and atriums of the arena. The 100 interior LED displays are installed in varying locations throughout, totaling 13,175 square feet. These include atrium bridge displays, The Climate Pledge Living Wall featuring 200 feet of live plants and LED activations on the main concourse, and east concourse picture frame features.
Outside the arena, Daktronics supplied 51 LED displays totaling 3,830 square feet to communicate with people as they pass by and arrive for events. These outdoor plaza displays brand the facility immediately upon arrival, and parking displays give real-time direction to help with traffic flow.