Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/178290
ENMAX Centre Renovation and Expansion by Irwin Rapoport " he need to expand and renovate the City of Lethbridge's ENMAX Centre – a typical 1970s arena with 5,600 seats – was recognized, but a business plan and design to support it was required to meet the city and public's desire to fund the $33.7-million cost of construction. The 190,400-square-foot centre (including 40,000 square feet of new space) hosts about 120 event days annually, with only 40 of those being home games of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. "The desire was to create a better spectator experience," says Conrad Westerson, the city's facilities services manager, "and this meant better entrances, concessions and raising the level of service and satisfaction to what people now expect." "The planning teams from the ENMAX centre and the city did a great job in putting together a business case," says Westerson. "The public knew the centre required a renovation and supported the plan that was put forward. The design gave us new suites and loge boxes and facilities such as the lounge that enhance the level of service that it can provide. It took time, but in the end we were able to deliver a building that the community can be proud of." PHOTO AND RENDERINGS COURTESY GEC ARCHITECTURE T ENMAX Centre Renovation and Expansion p.80-83ENMAX.indd 81 The new north-facing glazing at the lounge and all-glass entrances with large overhangs are highlighted and create a glowing effect in the evening. The building will definitely be noticed, whereas before it was just in the background." – Erica Lowe, GEC Architecture The expansion and renovation focuses on the north end. The centre, built in 1975 with a precast concrete exterior, does not have any windows and had undersized concessions that served food prepared in a basement kitchen. "It was pretty bare bones, mostly about hockey, not events or a good spectator experience," says project architect Erica Lowe, whose irm – GEC Architecture – designed the renovation and expansion. "The entries were not very spacious and were more about bringing people to their seats. However, the seating bowl, shaped like a horseshoe, was in great shape and had good sightlines – we didn't change anything. The goal was to create a design that wasn't about the building itself but about the events." "The curved exterior form of the addition follows the shape of the ice surface," says Lowe. "We added an amazing swath of windows to the north face so the ice surface doesn't receive any glaring light to distract from the events." The expansion's exterior cladding, which has the two entrances (northwest and northeast) leading to the concourse, consists of two types of corrugated metal, some burnished block and glazing. "The patterning of the metal skin around the addition has been designed to complement the existing precast panels, while the cladding on the second level has been more intricately detailed to pull the focus to the new entrances and lounge," says Lowe. "The new north-facing glazing at the lounge and all-glass entrances with large overhangs are highlighted and create a glowing effect in the evening. The building will de initely be noticed, whereas before it was just in the background." The expansion covers all three levels – the basement/event level, the main level/concourse, and the suite level where a lounge/pub with a capacity for 225 and eight renovated suites, as well as 16 new suites, were created. The event level received a state-of-the-art dressing room for the Hurricanes, four for the community and one for the staff, back-up spaces to help with various productions, concession stands and new washrooms. The concourse level contains larger public entries, new of ices for the Hurricanes and the centre's staff, concessions that can prepare food and better washrooms. "There is a lot of space for people to ilter into and spill out," says Lowe. APRIL 2012 /81 3/26/12 3:03:35 PM