America Airlines Arena
Miami
Arquitectonica (ARQ)

On a prominent waterfront site, modern forms and bright colors make a sophisticated and welcoming venue

© Richard Bryant

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above. To see the people and products behind this project click on 'people & products.'

By Beth Dunlop

Controversy erupted immediately when the NBA’s Miami Heat chose a site for its new arena on Biscayne Bay at the northern end of downtown, across from the Port of Miami. Civic activists and environmental groups opposed an arena there, envisioning a park on this desirable public land instead. Ultimately, the Heat won a 58 percent favorable margin in a countywide referendum and was allowed to go ahead.

In turn, Arquitectonica was asked to design the 20,000-seat American Airlines Arena. Their mandate was to construct a building that would do justice to its gateway position in downtown Miami. The arena needed to offer indelible architectural imagery and to connect game goers to both the city and the sea.

Arquitectonica was asked to ensure that even the cheaper seats were good ones; the goal was to create an arena of tight, clear sightlines and close connections to the play. Other requisites were a practice court, a training gym, the locker room, and a physical therapy center for the team. The Heat also wanted to consolidate its entire management into one area.

Arquitectonica started with an ellipse as the basis of its design, a form that emerges as a concrete-and-glass grid; however, the building is transformed into an abstract sculptural entity by the two vast white fins that envelop it. From a distance, the fins look like sails on a giant ship, giving the arena a powerful presence on the bayfront.

Because most fans arrive from the downtown area, the approach into the building on this elevation is quite grand—up a broad, palm-studded, piazzalike stairway. Lit from within, the arena glows like a ship lantern.

Inside, the arena is divided into four color-coded quadrants—red, orange, yellow, and blue—as an organizing thesis. These zones are expressed in the finishes; for example, in the colors of the geometric-patterned terrazzo on the concourse floors. Each quadrant also has its own geometric motif, providing what Fort-Brescia calls "a subliminal way-finder through the building."

The focal point, of course, is the perfect rectangle of the regulation basketball court. The seating rises above it with some visual interest; a large abstract flame pattern in the team colors (red, orange, and yellow) overlays the stands. Although built for basketball primarily (the Heat and the WNBA Miami Sol both call it home), the arena also is used as a hockey rink and concert venue.

See the May 2002 issue of Architectural Record for full coverage of this project.

Formal name of Project:
American Airlines Arena www.aaarena.com

Location:
Miami www.ci.miami.fl.us

Gross square footage:
782,400 sq ft

Total construction cost:
$220 million

Owner:
Miami-Dade County (Legal Owner)
Miami Heat Basketball Properties Ltd. (Developer / Operator)
www.nba.com/heat/

Architect:
Arquitectonica (ARQ)
550 Brickell Avenue, Suite 200
Miami, FL 33131
305. 372-1812
(Fax) 305.372-1175
www.arquitectonica.com