United Center
Chicago Bulls (NBA since 1994) Chicago Blackhawks (NHL, 1994 )
The United Center is a sports arena and multi-purpose hall in Chicago, which was opened on 18 August 1994 and, depending on the type of event has a capacity of up to 23,500 spectators. It is the ice hockey team Chicago Blackhawks home of the Chicago Bulls basketball team and.
Survey
The United Center is on dimensions, but not by audience capacity, the largest indoor sports stadium in the United States. It is the successor to the Chicago Stadium opened in 1929, which was demolished in 1995 and the former site of the new arena since been used as a parking lot. Since opening to the beginning of the 2010s was the United Center by over 40 million people visited and used with 200 events a year regularly as a venue for concerts and political rallies.
The United Center is named since its opening after the sponsor United Airlines. The airline, whose headquarters is located in Chicago, paid over a 20-year sponsorship deal until 2014 is currently 1.8 million dollars a year for the naming rights. In early October 2011, nearly 5000 m² logo was updated on the roof of the arena, after the airline had changed it since its merger with Continental Airlines in 2010.
The building, which stands on a nearly 0.2 km ² (45 acres) of grounds, has an area of almost 90,000 m² ( 960,000 sq ft), a circumference of about 520 meters (1700 feet) and a height of about 42 meters (136 feet).
In the arena, the basketball team Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team, who had both played until the opening of the United Center in Chicago stage play. The Chicago Bulls played from its inception in 1966 for the first season originally in the International Amphitheatre; The Chicago Blackhawks had ( built in 1866, demolished in 1982 ) from 1926, the Chicago Coliseum used. The plans for the construction of the United Center in 1988 by the owners of these teams, Jerry Reinsdorf ( b. 1936 ) and William 'Bill' Wirtz ( 1929-2007 ) created. . Construction began in April 1992, the building, the total cost was 175 million U.S. dollars at the opening, under the leadership of the Japanese Fuji Bank ( predecessor of the Mizuho Financial Group ) with a consortium of 12 banks - of which only U.S. three - financed privately and without public money. The United Center is owned by Reinsdorf and Wirtz ' son, William Rockwell ' Rocky ' Wirtz (* 1952).
Before the building is among other things a fenced Michael Jordan bronze statue called The Spirit, which was unveiled on 1 November 1994 and since then is a tourist attraction.
Gallery
Interior in ice hockey
Interior in a game the Bulls
Michael Jordan statue in front of input 4
Gabbro base of the Michael Jordan statue
View from the east
Aerial view from Willis Tower
Exterior facade with old United logo
Looking at the roof with old United logo
Demolition of the Chicago Stadium in 1995