Pacific Coliseum is an
indoor arena, at
Hastings Park, in
Vancouver,
British Columbia.
Completed in 1968, at the former site of the
Pacific National Exhibition, the arena currently holds 16,281, for
ice hockey, though capacity at its opening was 15,713.
The arena is the home of the
Vancouver Giants, of the
WHL. Other hockey tenants of the Pacific Coliseum have been the
Vancouver Canucks, of the
NHL, from 1970–1995 and the
WHL, from 1968-1970, the
Vancouver Blazers, of the
WHA, from 1973–1975 and the
Vancouver Voodoo, of the
RHI, from 1994–1995.
During the
2010 Olympic Winter Games, it was the venue for
figure skating and
short track speed skating.
The arena also hosts a variety of concerts and other events.
History
Designed by W. K. Noppe in 1966–67, with its simple geometric shape and distinctive ring of white panels, the building can be classified as
formalist architecture. Used initially as home to the
WHL's Vancouver Canucks, the building was used to attract an
NHL franchise in 1970 and a
World Hockey Association franchise in 1973. The Coliseum underwent renovations and additions in the late 1970s, but its role as host of an NHL team and a main venue for events in Vancouver was lost with the building of
General Motors Place (now Rogers Arena) in 1995.
Recent renovations were completed in 2007 to upgrade
accessibility, seating,
HVAC, and ice surface for its use as a venue for the
2010 Winter Olympics.
Notable events
The arena hosted its first...
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