Sited across from the now demolished Mellon Arena the $ 320M PPG Pittsburgh Paints Arena (originally the Consol Energy Center) is home to the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins.  Conceptually the arena form is shaped by site constraints and the desire to create a building that responds to and takes advantage of the urban condition that is downtown Pittsburgh.

With over 70 feet of fall across the site the arena utilizes a dramatic glass spine to place the activity and movement within on display. At the low end of the site, along Fifth Avenue, the arena scale is broken down to be complementary to the adjacent historic buildings. Along Centre Avenue, the existing church and arena create an entry plaza and a new “igloo club” restaurant is located to take advantage of spectacular views towards downtown.

 
Internally the building is organized to place a premium on the spectator experience. Concourses download to their respective seating sections resulting in an active, dynamic event environment where spectators are able to view the event from concourses. A radiating seating pattern of gold and charcoal seats creates a unique image for the facility while referencing the “energy” of events.

 

The use of a buff masonry skin on the exterior of the building is a nod to a tonal range found on many local masonry buildings and was chosen to contrast to the red brick of the adjacent church. 

The arena is the first NHL facility to be certified LEED Gold.

​

 

• ​2010 Best NHL Arena - Sports Business Journal Survey                        

• 2010 Best New Major Concert Venue - Pollstar Concert Industry Awards

• 2010 Aon Build America Award - Associated General Contractors      

• 2010 Best New Construction over $10M - Master Builder’s Association of Western Pennsylvania 

 

"The arena is absolutely spectacular - better than we hoped.  It was a complex building on a complex site.....I honestly think we have the best arena in the National Hockey League."

 - Ken Sawyer - former team CEO ​