Title: Coliseum - Auditorium Connector Facility
Location of Proejct: Charlotte, North Carolina
Project Completion Date: June 2020
Firm Name: ODELL

Short Description: Our firm was retained by the City of Charlotte to study options for improvements to the Entertainment Complex. The assessment of existing facilities identified a lack of hospitality and amenity spaces, single point of entry for events, and a need for flexible support spaces shared between the two existing facilities. The recommended design solution, nicknamed “The Link”, is a new building connecting the Coliseum and Auditorium with approximately 40,000 SF of space and integrates multiple building and pedestrian site entrance levels. Careful coordination with the Historic Landmarks Commission required preservation of the Historic Coliseum facade with a cantilevered bridge connection.

Architect's Statement: Our firm was retained by the City of Charlotte and Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) to renovate the Historic Coliseum, and also study options for improvements to the Entertainment Complex as a whole. The assessment of existing facilities identified a lack of hospitality and amenity spaces, single point of entry for events, lack of restrooms, and the need for flexible support spaces shared between the two existing facilities.

The recommended design solution, nicknamed “The Link”, is a new building connecting the Coliseum and Auditorium with approximately 40,000 square feet. This will be a LEED Silver project with careful preservation of existing trees and minimal impact to the site. The design includes office space for The Checkers and CRVA, a commercial kitchen, hospitality meeting room, restrooms, and flexible, shared gathering spaces. The multi-purpose prefunction corridor, with large extents of glazing, overlooks a new outdoor plaza providing various event and gathering opportunities.

The Link is thoughtfully designed between two Charlotte Landmarks, the Historic Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium. Careful coordination with the Historic Landmark Commission was prioritized during each stage of the design process, and especially in reference to the selection of exterior materials. Presentations to the Historic Landmark Commission were detailed and highlighted the preservation of the existing buildings and site.

Due to the monumental and historic importance of the Coliseum’s exterior façade and structure, a glass bridge is cantilevered from the new addition and does not impact the existing structure. This bridge feature is also limited in width to one structural bay of the Coliseum and was minimized in height to preserve the existing façade to the fullest extent possible. The Coliseum’s historic curtainwall mullions were cautiously preserved, and replacement infill glazing specified to match the historic adjacent material.

A critical design challenge was the connection of multiple site entry points and levels, as well as matching various existing floor elevations of the Auditorium and Coliseum. A sloping pedestrian bridge connects the existing upper parking lot to The Link's new main lobby. This lobby can be used as a standalone, primary entrance or supplement the existing facilities' entrances for individual events. The lobby flows into the large prefunction corridor matching the first floor level of Ovens Auditorium, with a ramp and stair down to the Coliseum's bridge connection. This bridge connection matches the Coliseum's concourse level and provides coverage to the ground level office entrance at the lower plaza level.

The contemporary design modernizes the Entertainment Complex while respecting the mid-century modern campus aesthetic. Activity within the new prefunction corridor is visible from the adjacent highway and plaza levels through the plan south glass facade, supported by cast-in-place tapered concrete columns emulating the historic Coliseum. From the pedestrian bridge, the event space is framed with accent terracotta metal panels echoing the Coliseum's historic terracotta bricks along the interior of the concourse level. Interior wood panel tones match those used in Ovens Auditorium. The large scale, curved terrazzo floor pattern in the lobby and prefunction spaces follows the movement of patrons within the space and between buildings.