The
Omni Coliseum, usually called
The Omni, from the Latin for "all," or "every," was an
indoor arena, located in
Atlanta,
Georgia,
United States. Completed in 1972, the arena seated 16,378, for
basketball and 15,278, for
ice hockey. It was part of the
Omni Complex, now known as the
CNN Center.
Demolished in 1997, the only remaining reminder is the scoreboard from the Omni that now hangs in the pavilion of the
Philips Arena.
History
This arena was an architectural marvel when first constructed, combining innovative design for the roof, seating, and the structure itself. The logo is based on the unique seating arrangement. Its exterior of
Cor-Ten was supposed to "surface rust" to seal itself, making a solid steel structure that would last for decades. The Omni was noted for its distinctive
space frame roof, often joked about as looking like an egg crate or a rusty waffle iron. Designed by the firm of
Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates with structural engineering work by the firm of Prybylowski and Gravino, the roof was technically described as an ortho-quad truss system. Elvis Presley performed twice in the Omni and a plaque was placed on an interior wall to that effect after his death.
Among the other non-sports events hosted at the Omni was the
1988 Democratic National Convention, and many
Grateful Dead concerts in the
90's.
Basketball and hockey
The Omni was home to the NBA
Atlanta Hawks from
1972–
1997, the NHL
Atlanta Flames...
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