Gainbridge Fieldhouse of the Future Modernization
Indianapolis
Best Sports/Entertainment
Presented by: Shiel Sexton Co.
Region: ENR MIDDLE WEST
Owner: Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board
Main design company: village
General contractor: Shiel Sexton Co.
Structural engineer: Fink Roberts Petrie
Civil engineer: Shrewsberry & Associates
MEP Engineer: Henderson Engineers
The NBA All-Stars played their annual exhibition game last month at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, whose $360 million renovation a year and a half ago is a star in the category of sports and entertainment.
Tony Eisenhut, vice president of field operations for Shiel Sexton Co., the project’s prime contractor, says he can finally attend games played by the home NBA team, the Pacers, without holding his breath about whether something will go wrong, like “the lights go out suddenly”, could be attributed to the multi-phase renewal.
Photo by Megan Ratts Photography
The project began months earlier than expected when the 2020 NBA season suddenly shifted to “bubble locations” due to the pandemic. The WNBA Fever had previously planned to play in another local arena due to the planned renovation. The project’s many subcontractors, already signed up, sprung into action early, Eisenhut says.
Much more than a country house even before the renovation, the building hosts numerous sporting and entertainment events and is the busiest venue in the state. The renovation completely changed the character of the arena in time for the resurgence of the Pacers team and its star, Tyrese Haliburton. New seats and a new scoreboard were installed. The suites were updated with new furniture and modern kitchens. The Fever’s lockers were upgraded and the team’s training ground upgraded. Everything had to be done while the events continued.
The home of the Indiana Pacers received new seats, scoreboard, concourse and a welcoming outdoor plaza.
Photo by Megan Ratts Photography
Perhaps the most transformative aspect of sports architect Populous’ design is an inviting outdoor plaza and a new, glassy entrance pavilion. Overall, the arena opened up visually to the downtown neighborhood and minimized the separation between the concourses and the seating bowl, so that, in the words of a team official, it introduced downtown to the building, and shortly after entering the pavilion “you” return to the event.”
