Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Multi-purpose sports venue at Arizona State Fairgrounds, Phoenix, US.
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a circular arena at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix, seating 14,870 for basketball and 13,730 for ice hockey. Its exterior carries a band of tall glass panes crossed by a diagonal grid of metal struts with round node plates, set above square textured panels divided by vertical concrete columns. A flat entrance canopy on columns leads to glass doors, with a sign reading "BOX OFFICE" on the right.
The facility was completed in November nineteen sixty-five by the architectural firm Lescher & Mahoney and represented a new postwar building style. The project also drew on the experience of T.Y. Lin International in designing the cable support system.
For over twenty years the local basketball team played home games here, shaping professional sports in the region. Today the venue continues to serve as a gathering point for sports fans and trade show visitors.
The venue stands on McDowell Road within the state fairgrounds area and is easily reached by car. Events take place throughout the year, especially during the annual state fair in autumn.
The roof is a saddle-shaped tension-cable structure carrying over 1,000 precast concrete panels, an engineering feat of its day. Its design influenced later arenas such as the Capital Centre in Maryland and the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary. A 25-foot candle placed on the roof for the building's first anniversary broke its seal and caused leaks for years.
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