INGLEWOOD BASKETBALL
& ENTERTAINMENT CENTER,
CALIFORNIA, USA
When the NBA’s LA Clippers come to the end
of its lease at the Staples Center in 2024, team
owner Steve Ballmer is planning for the team
to be playing ball in one of the league’s most
futuristic-looking and environmentally-friendly
arenas. Details and renderings of this vision,
called the Inglewood Basketball &
Entertainment Center, situated in Southern
California, have been released by its designers
and engineering experts, Aecom.
The modern facility is an oval-shaped
venue with the standout feature of an exterior
comprised of diamond-shaped metal panels
arranged in elliptical form that are intended to
resemble the geometry of a basketball going
through a net. Not only does the design serve
as a striking aesthetic feature but the interwoven
skin has been designed with multiple uses
that adapt over different areas of the building.
The exterior design will also incorporate solar
panel technology that will harvest energy to
contribute towards power usage at the arena.
Environmental credentials are a major aspect
to the proposed project where its design is
aiming for a minimum of LEED Gold certification
through high levels of energy optimization and
to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
The privately-financed Clippers’ campus
will house the team’s offices, training facility,
as well as community and retail spaces. It will
also feature indoor/outdoor areas and a large
plaza for multipurpose use for hosting concerts,
community basketball courts, and a giant LED
display to screen events.
Should the project get the go-ahead, the
team has a completion target of fall 2024. The
move from its current downtown LA home to
Inglewood will bring an NBA team back to the
city for the first time 20 years and aims to have
a transformative effect on the city by creating
jobs for locals and generate extra tax revenue
to be used within the community. n
The LA Clippers’
proposed new arena
features a basketball
net exterior design
Pic: LA Clippers
www.stadia-magazine.com September 2019 09
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