| Hec Edmundson Pavilion | |
|---|---|
| Hec Ed | |
| Full name | Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion (2011-present) |
| Former names | Bank of America Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion (2000–2010) Clarence S. "Hec" Edmundson Pavilion (1948–1999) University of Washington Pavilion (1927–1948) |
| Location | University of Washington Seattle, Washington United States |
| Opened | 2000 - November 24 (renovation) 1927 - December 27 |
| Owner | University of Washington |
| Operator | University of Washington |
| Construction cost | $40 million - (renovation) - 2000 $600,000 - (original) - 1927 |
| Architect | LMN architects (renovation) [1] |
| Capacity | 10,000 - (2000–present) 7,900 - ( -1999) - variable 12,961 - record (1957) |
| Tenants | |
| Washington Huskies - NCAA (1927–present) |
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Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, commonly known as Hec Ed, is an indoor arena on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, the home of the Washington Huskies of the Pacific-12 Conference. Originally opened in 1927, the brick venue is home to the UW men's and women's basketball programs, as well as the women's volleyball and gymnastics teams. The current seating capacity of Hec Ed is 10,000 for basketball.
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The pavilion is located immediately north of Husky Stadium. Originally the University of Washington Pavilion, the building was constructed for $600,000 and opened on December 27, 1927. After twenty years, it was renamed the Clarence S. "Hec" Edmundson Pavilion on January 16, 1948, honoring the university's longtime track and basketball coach, a former Olympian who retired in 1947.
The building was designed as a multi-purpose field house, handling six or seven men's sports, including use as an indoor football field and track. Seating and flooring were intentionally mobile. The floor was originally dirt, and the football team practiced in the venue during bad weather. The basketball floor was laid over a bed of 2x4's, resulting in a variety of bounce characteristics.
Hec Ed originally had glass skylights in its ceiling. During the state high school basketball tournament in 1938, one of these fell during a windstorm, injuring two spectators, resulting in their permanent removal. [2] The pavilion was used as a venue for the 1990 Goodwill Games and the flooring was renovated for the event.[3]
After 71 years, the multi-purpose arena underwent a major renovation in March 1999, following the final home games of the 1998-99 basketball season. The project took 19 months to complete and cost $40 million. The expansive interior of the building was reconfigured by LMN architects to make the arena environment more intimate for fans and players, and to improve the usage of the building's overall space.[4]
The east end of the building was sectioned off into a practice gymnasium and the main basketball court was moved fifty feet (15 m) west, enclosed by a tighter bowl of seats. The seating capacity was increased from 7,900 to 10,000 while using significantly less of the building. Half of the seats (5,000) are the chair type, with the other half bleachers, of which 60% have backs.
Another major improvement was the removal of the twenty view-obscuring support pillars in the upper level, replaced by two massive non-obscuring "super trusses," above and behind the sidelines. Both are 243 feet (74 m) in length and painted yellow-gold, as are the supporting tri-leg columns in the arena's four corners, proudly exhibited in the concourses.
Additionally, the six large arched windows at the west end of the building were uncovered. Painted over for years, they were refitted with filtered glass to allow them to remain uncovered during games. The acoustical ceiling, installed in 1967 for use as a concert and music hall, was removed to expose the steel rafters. The rafters and the black ceiling above them were painted in an off-white buff tone.
New locker rooms, athletic offices, meeting rooms, training rooms, and a Hall of Fame section were also part of the project. The running track was removed, transferred to the new Dempsey indoor practice facility, which opened the following autumn.
During the renovation, the Husky basketball teams were displaced for one season (1999-2000), and played their home games
five miles (8 km) away at Seattle Center; the men at KeyArena and the women at Mercer Arena.
In 2011, the University of Washington announced plans for a new Basketball Training Facility. The project includes a pre-design study for a $20 to $40 million basketball training facility for the Intercollegiate Athletics Men’s and Women’s basketball program to be located in the vicinity of the Alaska Airlines Arena. The scope of work may include relocation and replacement of existing ICA facilities related to the new project. The pre-design study will include programming, alternatives, design concepts, cost estimates, and other related reports.
At the re-opening in November 2000, the title "Bank of America Arena" was added, following a payment of $9.1 million by Bank of America for the 10-year naming rights. (Originally, the name was to be "Seafirst Arena." Although Seafirst was acquired in 1983 by B of A, it retained its brand until 2000, when it changed to "Bank of America.") The sponsorship of the arena expired after ten years in 2010 and was without an immediate successor. After several unsponsored months, the university announced its approval of Seattle-based Alaska Airlines as the new sponsor of Hec Ed on January 20, 2011. [5]
| Preceded by Madison Square Garden Williams Arena |
NCAA Basketball Tournament Finals Venue 1949 1952 |
Succeeded by Madison Square Garden Municipal Auditorium |
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