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Philips Arena
Home of the Atlanta Hawks
Philips Arena, which is located in Atlanta, Georgia, is home to the NBA franchise team of the Atlanta Hawks. In addition, the arena also hosts tenants, NHL's Atlanta Thrashers and the AFL's Georgia Force. Philips Arena opened in September 1999 as the conclusion of a $213 million construction project, which included financing and public improvements. Seating capacity varies depending on the event, including 18,750 for hockey, 18,729 for basketball and 21,000 for concerts. There are 1,866 club seats, 92 private suites and 4 restaurant/lounge/club areas inside the arena. In addition, 12 retail outlets allow fans to purchase souvenirs, official apparel and other collectibles.
While it's design is a bit unusual, Philips Arena certainly stands out among other similar venues. The club seats and luxury boxes were constructed for one side of the facility while the general admission seating is located on all other sides.
Since it's inception, Philips Arena has been recognized with various awards and achievements. Among the many recognitions, the Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena were the proud recipients of two Golden Matrix awards for video production excellence. In addition, Billboard magazine ranked Philips Arena among the top five facilities in America. Not only a venue for sports, Philips Arena is also accommodating to a variety of other events, including concerts and other entertainment. Philips Arena has been ranked #1 United States Concert Arena as published by Pollstar magazine.
Since it's grand opening in September 1999, Philips Arena has literally welcomed millions of guests. Atlanta's premier sports and entertainment complex was named after Philips Electronics, who owns the naming rights for Philips Arena. It was they who decided to place a large number of Philips television monitors throughout the arena. The exterior columns, which support the roof, spell out 'Atlanta' while the other side spells out 'CNN.' The reason being that the arena is adjoined to the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Philips Arena was built on the former site of the Omni Coliseum, which was previously Atlanta's main sports facility. It was demolished in 1997 and a new venue was constructed, which stands today as Philips Arena.
Fans who visit the arena enjoy taking a stroll on the HawkWalk, which is Philips Arena's indoor street connecting the venue with other local business centers. This short stroll features a large food court, retail stores and official sports merchandise. The Team Gear Store and Team Gear Store II is located on the HawkWalk and allows fans to shop for a variety of officially licensed collectibles, apparel and other souvenirs.
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