On Replacing Joe Louis Arena

Sports Business Journal reported today that the Detroit Red Wings are moving forward with their plans to build a replacement for Joe Louis Arena, having hired architects HKS and Chan Krieger NBBJ for the project.

It should be noted that the successor to the Joe is clearly not even a concept at this point.  No location has been determined (it was originally thought that owner Mike Ilitch planned to build an arena behind Fox Theater, but of late it seems there may be a preference for land near Temple St. and Woodward Ave.) and the only reported specs for the arena are that it would seat approximately 18,000, down from the 20,066 that the Joe seats.

I’ll say that I like the combination of HKS and NBBJ.  Both SBJ and the Detroit News point out that HKS was behind the design of Dallas’ American Airlines Center, home of the Stars and the NBA’s Mavericks.  The AAC has always reminded me of a modern Olympia, with it’s brick facade and arched windows.NBBJ is noted for their work on the Detroit riverfront project but I’m more interested in the fact that they did Columbus’ Nationwide Arena, which I’ve said before is what I hope the next arena in Detroit will be like.

There’s still a lot that needs to happen for a new Wings’ arena to come together but I’m very intrigued by this hire.