It’s no news that college hoops are big in the life of students, fans and the local residents who often support their teams at a feverish pitch. Thus, the University of Mississippi, founded in 1848 and known for its athletic programs, recently commissioned a $96.5 million basketball arena, The Pavilion at Ole Miss. The multi-purpose facility is home to the men’s and women’s basketball program and also hosts graduation ceremonies, concerts and other university-wide events.
Work on the facility began with a groundbreaking ceremony in July 2014, and opened to great fanfare during a weekend long celebration, January 7-10, 2016. The facility was designed by AECOM Technology, an architecture and engineering firm based in Kansas City, Missouri. BL Harbert International located in Birmingham, Alabama was the general contractor with experience building several other SEC arenas.
The facility consists of a three-story structural steel frame supporting steel trusses. From the exterior, it wields an elegant footprint in spite of its scale, one that is enhanced by a curved and colonnaded entrance façade that echoes The Pavilion’s signature curved roof. The roof is clad in metal paneling manufactured by ACI Building Systems LLC and coated with Valspar’s Fluropon in Terra Cotta, a rich earth-tone hue.
Chosen from an extensive list of colors, Valspar’s Fluropon 70 percent PVDF coating in Terra Cotta is a premium, high performance product. With Fluropon’s exceptional dirt and stain resistant properties, and its durability in all sorts of weather conditions, the combination of ACI panels and Valspar’s coatings ensure The Pavilion’s striking roof will endure lustrously for years to come.
“Valspar has consistently provided ACI with a superior product,” said Tim Davis, ACI’s Vice President of Sales. “We are confident in Valspar’s products to meet or exceed all our customers' requirements.”
ACI's UltraLok Roof System is designed and fabricated with both appearance and weather resistance top-of-mind. The UltraLok Standing Seam Panel, is 18" x 2" with factory installed sealant and was specified from over ten different panel profiles. The Ultra-Lok panel is mechanically seam and will offer excellent weather resistance and be practically maintenance free.
“We are excited to work on such a high profile project in conjunction with ACI,” said Tommy Rogers, Rogers Steel Company. “The 22 gauge galvalume substrate on this job, paired with the Valspar Fluropon coating, is not only aesthetically pleasing, but offers a premium roofing system fitting of this project.”
At 225,000 square-feet, the state-of-the-art arena seats 9,500 fans. In addition to the basketball court, it features locker room suites for players, athletic coaches and officials. The complex also includes first class amenities such as a private student concourse, courtside and baseline seating for students, three premium club areas – the Courtside Club, the All-American Club and the Pavilion Club - more than 1,700 premium seats, and an intimate seating bowl.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Oct 17, 2023
Top 130 Sports Facility Architecture Firms for 2023
Populous, Gensler, HOK, and HKS head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest sports facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Contractors | Sep 25, 2023
Balfour Beatty expands its operations in Tampa Bay, Fla.
Balfour Beatty is expanding its leading construction operations into the Tampa Bay area offering specialized and expert services to deliver premier projects along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Mixed-Use | Sep 20, 2023
Tampa Bay Rays, Hines finalize deal for a stadium-anchored multiuse district in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball team announced that it has reached an agreement with St. Petersburg and Pinellas County on a $6.5 billion, 86-acre mixed-use development that will include a new 30,000-seat ballpark and an array of office, housing, hotel, retail, and restaurant space totaling 8 million sf.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Sep 1, 2023
New Tennessee Titans stadium conceived to maximize types of events that can be hosted
The new Tennessee Titans stadium was conceived to maximize the number and type of events that the facility can host. In addition to serving as the home of the NFL’s Titans, the facility will be a venue for numerous other sporting, entertainment, and civic events. The 1.7-million sf, 60,000-seat, fully enclosed stadium will be built on the east side of the current stadium campus.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 31, 2023
Small town takes over big box
GBBN associate Claire Shafer, AIA, breaks down the firm's recreational adaptive reuse project for a small Indiana town.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 115 Architecture Engineering Firms for 2023
Stantec, HDR, Page, HOK, and Arcadis North America top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture engineering (AE) firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
2023 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
A record 552 AEC firms submitted data for BD+C's 2023 Giants 400 Report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 175 Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, HKS, Perkins&Will, Corgan, and Perkins Eastman top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jul 26, 2023
10 ways public aquatic centers and recreation centers benefit community health
A new report from HMC Architects explores the critical role aquatic centers and recreation centers play in society and how they can make a lasting, positive impact on the people they serve.
Standards | Jun 26, 2023
New Wi-Fi standard boosts indoor navigation, tracking accuracy in buildings
The recently released Wi-Fi standard, IEEE 802.11az enables more refined and accurate indoor location capabilities. As technology manufacturers incorporate the new standard in various devices, it will enable buildings, including malls, arenas, and stadiums, to provide new wayfinding and tracking features.
