Stockton Arena
Stockton, Calif.
360 Architecture

Arena anchors downtown revitalization

© Ed LaCasse

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The city of Stockton, Calif., hopes that its new arena will anchor urban revitalization and act as a beacon for the cultural viability of central California’s San Joaquin Valley. It was constructed in 2005 as part of a larger redevelopment scheme—including a ballpark and a hotel—that is transforming a vacant industrial site at the western edge of the central business district, adjacent to McLeod Lake and a waterfront park. The city asked 360 architecture to design an arena that would create strong visual connections to the downtown area and the esplanade.

The new arena is home to local hockey, indoor football, and indoor soccer teams, and also hosts a variety of other special events. In addition to seating for 10,500 people in the main arena, the building’s program includes 24 suites, administrative offices, dividable meeting rooms, a club lounge and exterior balcony, concert configuration and rigging, a team store, four locker rooms, and support services.

Design elements and building materials respect Stockton’s maritime heritage—although the city is some 75 miles inland, it is connected to the Pacific Ocean by a deepwater canal—as well as Stockton’s role as an agricultural and industrial center. Generous glazing reveals activity within the building and establishes a visual connection to the city. A sail-like canvas of tensile fabric shrouds the seating bowl, canting toward the ceiling and piercing the roof plane above like the prow of a ship expressed in exterior metal panels. An exposed concourse leads to the meeting rooms, where a curved wooden form projects outward through the glazing that flanks the north entry, gently guiding patrons through the main lobby.

The arena’s design is warm, inviting and friendly, while serving to increase the community’s quality of life and provide flexible opportunities for assembly, sport, recreation, culture, arts, and education. It reflects a significant revitalization of Stockton’s waterfront and stands as a commitment to the community’s future.

Formal name of Project:
Stockton Arena

Location:
Stockton, Calif.

Gross square footage:
247,000 sq. ft.

Total project cost:
$65 million

Client:
City of Stockton, California

Architect:
360 Architecture
2020 Baltimore, Suite
400 Kansas City, MO 64108
816-472-3360 tel.
816-472-2100 fax
360architects.com