Little Caesars Arena

When they are in use, arenas and stadiums are the most electric spaces in a city. Yet even the most active facilities often lie dormant between events. Little Caesars Arena, home to the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and NBA’s Detroit Pistons, solves this “all-or-nothing” paradox with a deconstructed design that engages the community 365 days a year.

Key to the design is the “Via,” the arena’s central concourse enclosed by a translucent ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) roof structure. A light-filled and temperature-controlled public space, the Via features destination dining, retail and office space that opens to the street and into the arena.

Little Caesars Arena anchors The District Detroit, a 50-block, mixed-use development connecting downtown and midtown. The arena’s design contributes to the density of this new district with restaurants, shops and commercial workspaces housed within its brick-and-glass perimeter spaces. An outdoor events plaza flanked by a large LED video board accommodates public use beyond the arena’s walls.

The steep, below-grade seating bowl embraces the iconic qualities of historic arenas, with improved sight lines and dense “walls” of people energizing the event. An array of diverse premium seating options, including gondola suites suspended from the roof, complement this intimacy. The arena also houses a community ice rink and the Red Wings’ training facility.