Studio Four Design helped the University of Tennessee build on the success of its basketball program by transforming their aging, 25,000 seat arena into an NBA-caliber sports and entertainment venue. Through sound design, coordination and communication with the client, the project was completed between basketball seasons for 1/10 the cost of a new building.
In today’s media-savvy culture, the fan experience during concerts and sporting events is completely different from when Thompson-Boling Arena opened in 1988. To accommodate this shift in entertainment expectations, a multi-phase renovation was initiated in 2005. The goal of Phase I was to provide functional improvements, event features and premium amenities the facility was not originally designed for, nor could have been imagined 20 years ago. Since the arena also hosts a number of other revenue-generating events throughout the year, UT agreed to shut down the building for only 8 months between basketball seasons.
