CHASE CENTER
with a composite slab on the deck, and a roof system
of long spanning steel trusses,” says Henderson. “The
lateral seismic system is four concrete core walls or
sheer walls, that extend from the foundation all the
way to the roof structure. Concrete sheer walls are
configured in a core arrangement and are wrapped
around the main egress stairs.
“You have these four elements buttressing and
bracing the other elements of the arena instead of brace
frames distributed throughout the arena. It allowed for
a lot of the openness in the concourses and more open
free flow around the building by having those located
as discreet cores around the egress stairs. The other
aspects tie into those four elements and it’s those four
cores that are doing the work and bracing the rest of
the structure in the case of a seismic event.”
Unlike other cities seeking to lure professional
sports franchises with a shiny new stadium, there
was no public money available. To add to the struggle,
a real estate boom meant that land prices and
construction costs were continually rising.
“The financing of this kind of project is complicated
because, being a standalone venue, it’s very difficult to
justify the level of investment you have to make,” Welts
says. “Public money has long been a big component
of the financing of these arenas and stadia. We just
happen to be in an area where that’s a non-starter.
We had to figure out a way to do it and we couldn’t
have done it without this development.”
The Warriors’ ownership administrators, who
include long-time Hollywood studio executive and
movie producer Peter Gruber, have decades of
experience in the entertainment industry as well as
sports. They knew that to succeed, both financially and
as a business venture, the development had to attract
people not only for events but also on non-event days.
Double take
The designers from David Manica Architecture
and Gensler were under pressure to make sure Chase
Center was a state-of-the art venue that could better
the atmosphere of the Oracle Arena. In addition, they
also had to improve in every other way the premium
seats and general admission. This included a brief
www.stadia-magazine.com Showcase 2020 21
/www.stadia-magazine.com
/www.stadia-magazine.com
