Innovative technology and a sense of wonder bring new life to the Nassau Coliseum.

The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, a major regional venue with a storied history, had fallen into disrepair when SHoP was brought in to re-conceive the look and feel of the structure. The design team saw an opportunity to retain the strong massing of the arena while at the same time transforming it with an intricate enclosure of 4,700 brushed aluminum fins. Interior renovations were carried out by Gensler for the client, Forest City Ratner.

Each of the elements in the facade system vary slightly in profile and dimension to create a subtle flow that reflects the big skies of the flat Long Island landscape. The materiality of the design evokes the area's history as well—a reference to the Spirit of St. Louis, which departed a nearby airfield for the first non-stop solo transatlantic flight in 1927.
SHoP's Virtual Design and Construction team designed the Nassau Coliseum entirely within Dassault Systèmes 3DExperience environment. Machine-specific fabrication instructions were exported directly to manufacturers, doing away with any need for paper drawings.
  • phase completed
  • size 90,000 sf