Roche & Dinkeloo Associates

The New Haven Coliseum, demolished in 2007, was located on 8.5 acres in New Haven, Connecticut, and constructed of weathering steel spans and reinforced concrete piers. The concrete was clad in the same silo tile as the adjacent Knights of Columbus Headquarters building to lend a sense of continuity. The total area of the building including the parking garage was 1’037’400 s.f.

The complex consisted of an arena, an exhibition hall, and a parking garage. The arena accommodated hockey, basketball, and boxing events, with 9’000 seats for hockey, 10’200 seats for basketball, and 11’500 seats for boxing. The exhibition hall had multiple entertainment possibilities with a total usable floor area of 38’000 s.f. including the mezzanine.

The parking garage was the most defining feature of the coliseum. Located on top of the arena and spanning 360 feet, the garage was constructed of 358-foot long trusses spaced 60 feet apart with internal parking possible between them. The structure was serviced by two double helix access ramps, one at each end of the garage which could hold up to 2’400 cars. In placing the parking facility above the arena, the garage formed a shelter for the complex and allowed for easy pedestrian access to the facility from street level, as well as retail space.

The exhibition hall was never completed and the retail facilities at street level never developed due to lack of funding.