The entrance to a low rectangular building nestled in a tranquil desert valley, framed by distant mountains. Pedestrians add vibrancy to the scene, bustling around the venue entry walkway. Palm trees and native plants frame the building, adding to the serene atmosphere.

Acrisure Arena

Adaptive natural integration

Project Facts

Location Coachella, California
Owner Oak View Group
Size 220,000 SF
Cost $160 million
Status Completed 2022

Overview

The Acrisure Arena stands as a 10,000 seat testament to innovation and community engagement in Coachella Valley, California. Beyond its role as the home arena for the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, its design integrates seamlessly into the desert landscape, offering premier entertainment and sports experiences while preserving the natural beauty and majestic mountain views cherished by the local community. With state-of-the-art amenities, including retractable seating and a versatile rigging grid, it not only hosts world-class events but also serves as a cultural hub for year-round community engagement.

Birds eye view of the arena from afar showcasing the adaptive integration of the building into the natural landscape and surrounding golf course.

A packed arena crowd surrounds an intense ice hockey game at center ice, illuminated by rows of overhanging lights, creating a vibrant and electrifying atmosphere.

A low rectangular building nestled amidst distant mountains in a serene desert valley. Cars and pedestrians populate the area around the venue, bustling with activity while remaining unobtrusive.

An aerial view captures the vast single-story arena and surrounding parking areas, adorned with palm trees and native plants, creating a harmonious blend with the desert landscape.

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About the project

As the home of the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, the arena features a rustic façade that evokes the landscape of the Coachella Valley, and provides ample shade from the desert sun with an expansive canopy that wraps two sides of the arena. Conceived as both a concert venue and a rehearsal facility for world-class acts prior to national tours, the venue has the rigging capacity, talent accommodations and loading dock access to attract premier live music performances as well as host multiple athletic events. 

The Event Level and lower seating bowl are located 25 feet below grade, to maintain a manageable pedestrian scale for the facility and to preserve majestic mountain views so valued by the surrounding community. The 270-degree seating bowl with retractable seating at the stage end is designed strategically to maximize the number of seats for stage end shows and minimize obstructed view seats behind the stage. The bowl also provides a variety of premium amenities, including 20 suites, private clubs, 800 club seating and loge boxes. Rather than a center-hung scoreboard, the venue also features an 80-foot by x 20-foot video board at the stage end to eliminate any interruptions to the continuous and highly-flexible 200,000 pounds capacity 
rigging grid. 

The Acrisure Arena features a training center that can also serve as a year-round community gathering space, and includes a full-size ice rink along with locker rooms and training areas.