CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Imagine the pressure associated with designing the new John Paul Jones Arena on the campus that Thomas Jefferson built? Yet architects at Ellerbe Becket and VMDO rose to the challenge, delivering an arena that combines the best of the Jeffersonian era with the modern amenities today’s sports and concert patrons want.
The arena officially opens this weekend (Nov. 12) as the University of Virginia women’s basketball team hosts cross-state rival Old Dominion and the men play perennial national power University of Arizona.
The first thing fans will notice about the 365,000-sf arena is the grand “pergola” crowning the main entrance. This distinctive design feature echoes the architectural direction established by Jefferson nearly two centuries ago.
If the building’s exterior pays homage to the past, visitors are instantly transported to the future when they enter the spacious lobby. Twin video boards welcome visitors and create excitement for the event about to unfold in the seating bowl.
The new 15,000-seat arena will give fans a closer look at their teams this season. “We wanted to draw people as close as we could to the court,” said Ellerbe Becket Principal and Project Director Steve Duethman. There are eight rows of UVA student seats behind both team benches, as well as 112 courtside seats (the kind you see actor Jack Nicholson occupying at LA Lakers games).
In addition, the architects brought the upper deck closer to the action than typical collegiate arenas. “These are excellent seats,” says Duethman. “They’re really drawn close and give people a great view from the upper deck.”
The building has put Charlottesville on the map as a concert and family show destination. Already JPJ Arena has hosted the Dave Matthews Band and Cirque du Soleil, allowing local residents to stay in town instead of driving to Washington, D.C., or Richmond to catch favorite entertainment acts.
Additional amenities include 19 luxury suites, a club for socializing prior to and during events, a team merchandise store and an on-site parking garage. For coaches and players there are practice courts, weight and training rooms, administrative offices and an academic center.
The Ellerbe Becket/VMDO collaboration was a natural fit – VMDO has designed numerous campus buildings, including the expansion of the UVA football stadium, and Ellerbe Becket is an internationally-renowned sports facility designer.
An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in architecture, interiors, engineering and the construction industry with office locations worldwide.
Contact: news@ellerbebecket.com
