VMDO Architects

Since 1970, University Hall has been the home of the University of Virginia’s basketball Cavaliers, the theater for the great athleticism of players like Ralph Sampson, Dawn Staley, and Bryant Stith. Over the past 30 years, the 8,500-seat facility has become one of the smallest arenas in what many consider to be the country’s premiere basketball league - the Atlantic Coast Conference. With the growing prominence of Virginia’s basketball programs, the University hired VMDO Architects to develop a plan for the development of the Athletic Precinct, of which a new arena will occupy a central part.

The Athletic Precinct Study, begun in the fall of 2000, endeavored to locate a site for the new basketball arena in consideration of existing athletic facilities, including Klöckner Soccer Stadium, the McCue Athletic Support Center, the University’s track and baseball fields, as well as tennis, wrestling, field hockey and lacrosse facilities. The study also sited a new field house for a football practice facility and developed alternative uses for University Hall. Finally, the Athletic Precinct Study suggested possibilities for developing the area in consideration of the “Grounds Walk” outlined in the University’s Master Plan. In this plan, the Athletic Precinct serves as the link between the University’s Central Grounds and the professional graduate schools in the North Grounds. What was once a somewhat a difficult area to navigate (with heavy vehicular traffic) will be cultivated over time as an accessible and attractive place for both students and student-athletes to experience the full-range of collegiate life.