The total capacity increased to 15,685 seats with the addition of 8,000 permanent seats. In total, 4,200m² [45,208 ft²] of Sandwich Plate System stadium decking terraces were installed.

The design team chose SPS terraces, which require fewer supporting columns, to create more space for concessions and services below the new stands. The permanent terracing and seating were ordered, delivered and installed in 12 weeks.

One of the biggest challenges with indoor arena renovation is the necessity to use lighter plant and smaller cranes within the existing base build envelope. The SPS terraces were lifted into position using a vacuum lift in the confined space with restricted crane access. Prefabricated and modular, the SPS Stadia+Arena system does not require wet trades and can be installed by smaller numbers of trades. All the structural connections used standard steel detailing. The aisle steps were light enough to be lifted into place manually, and a rail-mounted seating system was used to accelerate the installation of the seats.

If you would like to find out more about how SPS can be used for indoor arena renovation, Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion and ACU’s Moody Coliseum are two more great examples of indoor arena renovation using the SPS Stadium+Arena System.

Planning was submitted for another renovation to the venue in 2020 but was delayed due the Covid-19 pandemic.