The Golden State Warriors recently selected Snøhetta and AECOM to design a proposed arena on San Francisco’s Piers 30-32.  The choice of Snøhetta, which is also designing the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s major expansion, was widely praised in the local design community. Warriors management said it was impressed by the Snøhetta’s design strength and by AECOM’s sports facilities experience. (Snøhetta has never designed an arena, so this was vital.)


The team beat out competitors that included SOM, Populous, NBBJ, Beyer Blinder Belle, HKS, HNTB, and 360 Architecture.

When the arena was first announced, the ownership team released several conceptual renderings (not the work of Snøhetta /AECOM), which generated immediate reactions—both positive and negative— from residents and businesses near the proposed site.  Since then, Mayor Ed Lee has appointed a Citizens Advisory Committee made up of local residents and businesses to get formalized input. Warriors team president Rick Welts recently made the first of many presentations to that committee.

Snøhetta principal Craig Dykers, known for his presentational skills, will lend credibility to the process, note the Warriors.  According to Warriors spokesperson P.J. Johnson, “He obviously has a highly attuned ear and his willingness to participate and interact with people is a huge asset.”

No schedule has been developed for the design of the arena, although the Warriors have stated their intention to open the 17,000 to 19,000-seat facility in time for the 2017-2018 NBA season.  While an estimated budget has not been released, published reports have put the cost of the arena at $450 million. The rehabilitation of Piers 30-32 is estimated at $100 million.  Warriors CEO, Joe Lacob, would not confirm those figures, but stated that the project will be privately financed, without reliance on city funds or new taxes.