Arena Highlights

A “Welcome to the Gateway to the Carolinas” sign above the box office features imagery in each letter that corresponds to larger artwork reflecting different destinations and industry in the Carolinas. Maps of North and South Carolina are featured high above each side of the main bowl entrance; etched glass listings of every city or town in each state with populations greater than 10,000 line the wall below the maps along this entrance.

In the summer of 2016, Spectrum Center added one of the largest and most unique center-hung scoreboards in the NBA.  The two sideline boards are the tallest in the NBA at 25.2’ high x 42.8’ wide, while the two baseline boards are 18’ high x 31.3’ wide. In terms of square footage, the sideline boards are 180% larger and the baseline boards are 50% larger than the screens on the previous scoreboard, which measured 16’ high x 24’ wide on all four sides. Additionally, the new scoreboard has two underbelly screens measuring 9.8’ high x 16.5’ wide, the largest in the NBA, to provide a better view for those fans sitting in courtside and lower-level club seats.

The scoreboard’s Hornets-branded elements make it one of the NBA’s most unique designs. The open-faced structure allows fans to see through to the scoreboard’s “hive,” the cell pattern cladding and branding within the board that connects the screens and serves as an artistic expression that represents the home of the Hornets.

Along with the new scoreboard, four new auxiliary boards were added to the corners of the upper level.  Each board features a 16’ high x 26’ wide video screen in the center flanked by static signage on each side, with the goal of continuing to improve the fan experience.

The Hornets Fan Shop is where fans can find team apparel for the Charlotte Hornets. Located on the south side of the arena, bordering Trade Street, The Team Store is accessible to the public from the arena’s Trade Street Plaza and to arena guests via the Club Concourse. View The Hornets Fan Shop Page for more information or to purchase online, visit HornetsFanShop.com

Artwork Location: Mosaic Tile Photo Murals, Trade and Fifth Street Entrances

Artwork Description: To create a “wow” factor for people entering the arena lobby, two large walls were identified by the design team for artwork: the left wall as visitors enter from Trade Street and the wall above the Fifth Street entry. Photographer Mike Mandel focused on two themes: The History of Basketball in the Piedmont and the action of the game. Mandel conducted personal interviews and archival research both in Charlotte and around the region to learn about basketball history in North Carolina. Mandel then digitized and fabricated the archival and contemporary photos in 1-and-½-inch colored ceramic tile.

Artist Statement: “I created designs where imagery resonates as symbols of the great legacy of local basketball. In my work I want the emphasis to be on the institutions that enable everyone to take part in the sport: high school, college, and community league and textile mill ball.”

Artist Background: Mike Mandel is a nationally recognized public artist with more than 10 years of experience in large-scale photography-based projects. His process of computerizing photos so that they can be installed as permanent porcelain tile mosaics is unique. Notable projects include Ramsay Cascades, Knoxville; Parking at the Courthouse, Tampa; and Sitting Down at Rich’s, Atlanta. Mandel holds an MFA in Photography from the San Francisco Art Institute.

Artwork Location: Plaza (between Trade & Fifth Streets)

Artwork Description: The outdoor sculptures were designed to enhance the arena’s plaza architecture by providing focal points to enliven the space and provide places for pedestrians to gather. Fabricated from a variety of North Carolina granite types and monumental in size, the benches’ unique shapes maximize seating. Carved surfaces provide interest and beauty up close and from afar.

Artist Statement: “The form of ‘Tulip’ and ‘Double Leaves’ represent my response to the design of the arena in a formal manner. The tulip reflects the history of agriculture of North and South Carolina. It also is symbolic of the growth of our community, prosperity and the promise of a successful future. The image of leaves represents the important concept of teamwork. It is the teamwork necessary for society to move forward. The fallow gear represents the acceptance that the fertile age of physical mechanics is past.”

Artist Background: Paul Sires has lived in Charlotte since 1983. A professional sculptor and co-owner of Center of the Earth Galleries, his commissions include Plaza Central Identity Project, North Carolina Museum of History, and Reedy Creek Park, as well as corporate and private commissions. Sires has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Kent State University, and Master of Fine Arts from Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Artwork Location: Escalators

Artwork Description: Artist Tommie Robinson created two murals, one depicting diverse men and women engaged in commerce, with the image of a miner panning gold superimposed over design elements derived from contemporary business measurement tools (pie chart, bar graph, etc.). The present-day Charlotte skyline is shown in the background. The second mural depicts the evolution of public transportation and references Charlotte’s history as a transportation center. A train conductor represents the past while a mother with a child in her arms represents the future. Superimposed over images of a present-day bus and trolley, and a future light rail train, a ghostly laborer swings a sledge hammer, perhaps building the rail or trolley lines of the past, while a jet hovers in the background.

Artist Statement: “I set out to depict Charlotte’s diversity and included the different ages and races of people that make Charlotte vibrant. One panel reflects images of men and women engaged in business and industry settings and elements. The second panel includes public transportation images and shows the evolution of public transportation in Charlotte from the trolley car, buses and planes to the future of light rail.”

Artist Background: A native North Carolinian, noted painter Tommie Robinson is largely self-taught. His work has been featured in newspapers and magazines such as Art News and Watercolor Magazine. He has been commissioned for both corporate and public artworks, some of which are located in Charlotte, at the Adams Service Center, West Boulevard Branch Library, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg ABC Board offices.

Artwork Location: Trade Street Plaza, Fifth, Caldwell and Trade Streets

Artwork Description: The public art created for the arena’s plaza provides a sense of identity and excitement for visitors coming into this major sports and entertainment complex. Artist Andrew Leicester used forms from the textile industry in the Carolina Piedmont to create a visual language for the plaza in keeping with the building, which references mill architecture. Working with the existing 35-foot columns on Trade Street., Leicester modified the design with colorful bobbin forms, brickwork, and lighting. To enrich the pedestrian experience on Caldwell, Trade and Fifth Streets, Leicester designed 23 unique colored ceramic sculptures, based on the shapes of textile shuttles, to fit within the existing building piers.

Artist Statement: “My work derives its imagery from studying the history of the textile mill in this region. To make a grand and welcoming statement for the Trade Street plaza, I created four freestanding columns based on the theme of a giant cotton bobbin loaded with yarn in four primary colors. Additionally, the intimately scaled artworks in the alcoves circling the exterior of the arena are based on textile patterns. The introduction of color, variety and the unexpected will entice people to explore the entire arena.”

Artist Background: Andrew Leicester is a nationally recognized public artist with a career spanning 25 years. Based in Minneapolis, MN, he has created award-winning large-scale design projects that create a sense of place. These include the Downtown East Station and Plaza for Hiawatha Light Rail, Minneapolis; The Ghost Series for Penn Station, Long Island Railroad; Zanja Madre, plaza lighting and water features, Los Angeles, and the Cincinnati Gateway Project for the Ohio Riverfront.