Less a simple facelift and more a total rebuilding of the facility, the renovation of UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion will increase capacity and force the Bruins on the road for an entire season.UCLA has laid out the groundwork for a rebuilding of Pauley Pavilion, one of college basketball’s showcase facilities. UCLA has taken a few runs at Pauley Pavilion renovations, but this may be the most ambitious: a $185-million rebuilding that will force the Bruins out of the facility for the 2011-2012 season, most likely to the Forum.
The plan, as designed by the Los Angeles office of NBBJ, calls for an all new seating bowl with new aisles and steps with safety handrails; new seats, seating sections and entry points. A new retractable seating system on the lower level includes individual padded seats instead of benches and brings fans closer to the action. The renovated bowl includes over 1,000 additional seats, bringing the seating capacity to about 14,000, plus new lighting and sound systems.
The seating bowl will include a new center hung HD video board, as well as an LED ribbon board that encircles the arena interior.
The school has already raised more than $52 million toward the project. One likely outcome: the sale of naming rights, something the Pauley family has already approved.
The project includes new concourse and lobby space. The north side of the pavilion will become the front of the building and will feature a grand lobby. Overall, the facility will feature more than 25 additional points of sale for concessions and an increased number of restrooms with three times the amount of toilets currently available in the building.
New facilities under the north side lobby will include large locker rooms with player lounges for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as a film room, sports medicine room, weight room and equipment room. A Pavilion Club on the mezzanine of the same structure will serve the campus for numerous special events as well as game day hospitality.
The current timeline calls for construction of the project to begin in February 2010. For the first year, the work will be focused on the north side and exterior of the facility. At the conclusion of the 2011 basketball season, Pauley Pavilion will close in order to begin work on the interior work. All programs currently held in the venue will take place at alternate sites until the completion of construction.
In Fall 2012, the transformed Pauley Pavilion will open.
