A pivotal project for the University of Southern Indiana, Screaming Eagles Arena is an iconic addition to the campus that dynamically enhances student-athlete and fan experiences, bolsters athletics and academics programming, and helps USI to recruit premier athletes.
Highly artistic and purposefully communal in its design, the USI venue represents an exciting trend in the evolution of collegiate sports venues and spaces. The building is more than just a host for athletic competition, it is an active ingredient in shaping USI campus culture. The building employs light, geometry and texture to creatively nourish its location, maximize nearby synergies and strengthen the institution by numerous measures beyond athletics.
The arena specifically serves to host the school’s basketball and volleyball teams, but it also hosts concerts, dignitary speakers and graduation ceremonies. Key spaces infused throughout include a full-size competition court for basketball and volleyball, locker rooms, training rooms, box seats, a media room, a concessions area, a varsity club room and a kinesiology lab. Together, these pieces equip the school with a Division I experience at a Division II school.
Already the recipient of a local design award, Screaming Eagles Arena was celebrated by the jury for how “this arena rethinks the arena type, producing an intriguing and enigmatic sculptural form. The mass of the building is opened up and activated through strategic and geometric use of glass and fields of red. The building is both restrained and bold at the same time.”
Judge's Comments
“The simple massing and transparency of the facade successfully creates a strong presence and beacon on the campus. Restraint of material palette heightens this simple gesture, making it even stronger.” — Indy Dehal
“I liked the dynamic forms and organic facade materials. I also felt the main entry was inviting and vibrant.” — Steve Chung
