Plans are taking shape for changes at Toronto’s soon-to-be-renamed Scotiabank Arena, as a new naming-rights agreement is about to take effect.
In August 2017, it was announced that Air Canada Centre‘s name would officially change to Scotiabank Arena in July of this year. The venue had been named Air Canada Centre since it opened for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs in 1999, but was set to change due to a 20-year naming-rights agreement between Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and Scotiabank.
With the Scotiabank Arena name going into effect on July 1, the venue will have to undergo some alterations to reflect its new identity. Many of those changes will take place on the arena’s exterior, allowing the Scotiabank branding to stand out prominently. More from Urban Toronto:
With that date rapidly approaching and building permits for the modifications already issued, we are taking a look at the revised arena exterior that will soon take shape at the Bay and Lake Shore site.
The plans—produced by Kramer Design Associates—show the style and positioning of the replacement Scotiabank branding, as well as other cosmetic changes to the building to be carried out. One notable element is the replacement and enlargement of the popular screen on the outer facade of the arena’s west atrium, overlooking Bremner Boulevard and Maple Leaf Square—the area known Jurassic Park during Raptors events.
The most prominent signage will be placed on the upper levels of the arena exterior above the heritage facades and west atrium—an area currently covered in an opaque grey cladding and mechanical grilles. This section of the building will be fully reclad as part of the project. While the signage variance plans currently available do not specify the type of cladding that will be used, the elevation diagrams indicate a pattern of intersecting diagonal lines.
Scotiabank has an established presence among NHL arenas, as it has been the naming rights partner for the Calgary Flames’ Scotiabank Saddledome since 2010. This also marks one of a few arena naming-rights changes that could take place prior to the 2018-19 NBA and NHL seasons. The St. Louis Blues (NHL) have already announced that their home venue will become Enterprise Center, while the Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) could announce a naming-rights deal for their new arena before the season begins.
RELATED STORIES: Air Canada Centre to Become Scotiabank Arena
