Baltimore’s New (Green) Arena
It was announced last week that Baltimore will be getting a new 18,500 seat arena at the site of the current First Mariner Arena. This is big news for the City of Baltimore, as the 1st Mariner Arena has become a bit outdated and lacking over the years. The new venue will be great for concerts, sporting events, rallies, and shows and will greatly enhance the city’s west side.
Dan Rodricks, a writer for the Baltimore Sun and former talk show host, wrote a really interesting bit of editorial on the new arena that caught my eye and beckoned to be passed on. I invite you to read the full article HERE, but here are a few excerpts:
It is absolutely essential that the city recruit a visionary architect to design the new arena, and this design must be green from the ground up - even below ground.
When I say “green,” I don’t mean 20 percent green. I mean green beyond green - far beyond what has been achieved in public and private spaces so far. Baltimore’s new arena should meet or surpass goals of the U.S. Green Building Council. It should have a major wow factor architecturally but also set an example of sustainability for the nation and the world.
Now is the perfect time to champion this Earth-friendly ethos, and the new arena is the perfect project: a high-profile building in a redeveloping city that needs to keep doing dynamic things to attract new businesses and residents. A major green-as-can-be project would put Baltimore on the cutting edge. There would be no sports arena like this. It would be a model for other public and private projects to come. All sorts of businesses would want to be associated with it.
I think Mr. Rodricks is spot-on with his assessment. One can only hope that city officials put some of his theories into practice with the design and development of the new arena. Cheers for sustainable design!
Garret Ohm
http://www.orange-element.com
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July 28th, 2008 at 10:56 am
NIce! I’m going to call it the Gareena.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
My designs and thoughts on a fully hybrid and solar arena are just as understanding as to a new arena. This fully 98% solar arena should feature an solar panel roof, frame supports such as steel, iron, and glass on exterior. The interior features a large rotunda center showing the history and events at the old arena, also listed on a wall the date of every event in the old arena, small stores, 40-50 restrooms, 40 concession stands, and 20 indoor private bars adjacent to 50 suites all throughout arena. Grid design of a 4 level, 4-5 story structure with 6 access points to 4 streets as a sky bridge from the top 3 levels to the Baltimore St. light rail stop, also an underground station for the future(Red line)at Howard & Lombard Sts., and finally a 40 floor solar tower accomodate office space and condos on Hopkins Pl. & Lombard St.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
To add to the SOLARENA a tunnel for event vehicles under arena also to add to tower a special guess rooms for performers to stay until day of peformance. Redevelopment of UofB light rail stop adjacent to arena with full glass covering over stop one lane traffic on Howard Street with a wider sidewalk and a crease for buses to drop off. This should expand the redevelopment to Howard St. and turn it into a main street Chinatown, like keeping the tracks on the westside of Howard St., shorten sidewalks for one lane traffic and one lane parking on eastside of Howard St. tear down buildings and redesign into bars,resturants and inner city homes.