Golden State Warriors Announce New Arena Design

The Golden State Warriors have pressed the reset button on designs for their new arena after the original concept became a punchline due to its resemblance to a toilet.    

Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle report the arena, which is part of a $1 billion development project, now features a more curved look. While the overall changes aren't massive, it takes away the undesirable overhead view:

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Gone is much of the rectangular viewing deck that, when coupled with the oval arena, gave the overhead view of the place the appearance of a giant toilet seat with the lid down. The deck has been shaved down to about half its old size, dropped about 13 feet below the roof line and given a sweeping curve.

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Warriors arena consultant Jesse Blout joked that the new approach is an effort to "flush the toilet bowl forever out of people's consciousness."

The Warriors also released a statement on the unveiling:

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“We believe this plan is a perfect fit for Mission Bay, for San Francisco, and for the entire region,” said Joe Lacob, Co-Executive Chairman and CEO of the Warriors. “Our goal is to not only build a world-class arena for our team and our fans, but also create a vibrant place that residents and visitors will want to enjoy, whether on game days or any other day.”

The new entertainment center will be built on 11 acres of private, inland property, bounded by Third, 16th and South Streets, and Terry Francois Blvd.

“The new Warriors sports and entertainment center is going to activate Mission Bay in new ways and create a 21st century fan experience and a premier entertainment experience for concert and convention-goers,” said Co-Executive Chairman Peter Guber. “It will serve as a ‘digital’ meeting place, with state-of-the-art amenities, unbelievable sightlines and new views of the Bay.”

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Diamond Leung of the San Jose Mercury News shared this image of the new concept:

Mike Rosenberg of the San Jose Mercury News provided a side-by-side look at the two designs to illustrate the cosmetic adjustments:

Jordan Ramirez of Warriors World passed along some additional looks:

The San Francisco Chronicle report notes the team plans to break ground by next fall, aiming to have the arena ready for the 2018-19 NBA season. The new plans are set to be proposed to the Mission Bay Citizens Advisory Committee on Thursday.     

This new concept probably won't generate nearly as much attention as the previous attempt. But in this case, that's a good thing for the Warriors.