Coors Events Center is the home of the University of Colorado men's and women's basketball and volleyball programs. The building, designed with an unfriendly modern aesthetic of primarily blank board-form concrete walls, is approaching its 40th year of operation. The university wanted to create a new image for the building that is much more consistent with the sandstone and tile roof architecture of campus.
The new practice facility, expected to achieve LEED Platinum, includes two independent practice gymnasiums, locker room areas for the women's basketball program and offices for the women’s volleyball program. The desire to allow one of the gyms to accommodate large hospitality functions associated with events also necessitated the inclusion of a new hall of fame, a prefunction lobby and convenient access to the arena floor and seating bowl. It was also important to create an effective relationship between the recently renovated men's and women's basketball offices at the street level and the newly renovated men’s basketball locker room at the arena floor level.
The exterior design embraces the materials, forms and scale of the work of Charles Klauder, the original architect who set the stage for one of the most distinctive campuses in the United States. The building's placement and character effectively masks the brutal and uninviting character of the Coors Events Center's original design.
Clarence-Rockland Arena, Event and Training Centre
