| Name: Adrian
Vellinga |
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| Firm: FFKR Architects |
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| Client: Utah Jazz - Larry H. Miller |
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The Zions Bank Basketball center was completed March 4, 2003. Total project size
was 50,990 square feet. Project budget was $4,747,497, finishing at $92 per square
foot. In 2002 the Utah Jazz was one of two NBA teams that did not have their own
practice facility. Due to facts of an aging team and a need to draw new payers,
the quest for a future site for an team owned practice facility began. FFKR Architects
assisted the Jazz with their search. After several options were explored and programed
for, the abandoned Levett’s Furniture Warehouse was selected as the future
site. The concrete floor, exterior walls, roof, and existing columns were used,
window and skylights were added. Due to the size of the existing space, area was
allowed for two regulation sized courts, locker rooms, training facilities, sponsor
room, press room, theater, and coaching staff offices, all of which greatly increasing
the facilities versatility.
Jazz Administration and Coaching staff expressed a strong desire to maintain privacy
from the public and interruptions during workouts while the event side of the
Jazz requested the need to use the facility for corporate meetings, Junior Jazz
clinics, Jazz Dancer practices and competitions, public basketball tournaments,
and sponsor, team, and business related hospitality events. Many details that
enable separate events to function simultaneous were developed and incorporated
into the design. While room was adequate, all spaces had to be defined for functionality
and future profitability. Training and locker rooms had to be state of the art
with hydrotherapy and Swim-Ex pools for excellent physical therapy and team conditioning.
Adding the theater, the sponsor room and the player’s lounge added amenities
that could make the facility more versatile for multi-purpose public and private
events and give more amenities to new players. Zion’s Bank purchased naming
rights to sponsorship and priority facility use immediately prior to the practice
facility opening.
Perhaps the most exciting parts of the projects was finding the key elements to
convey a powerful image of a respectable and historically rich NBA team. Visually
the facility had to be both masculine, energetic, and functional. Special attention
was given to heights of custom millwork, doors, custom lockers, conference tables,
and display of photography, and player memorabilia to portray an athletic image
and enduring team spirit. Design selections included interior and exterior finishes,
color selections, and design of court and facility graphics, as well as furniture
and facility related equipment. Lighting was strategically added for flare and
intensity. The greatest challenge of this project was overcoming the owner’s
traditional low-keyed approach to design. Using team colors and furniture shapes
and colors that hinted of basketball, and sport added finishing touches to the
final design.
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