The greatness of a sports venue is measured in both decades and moments, in both soaring rhetoric about changing the world and in details like a doorway that does not get clogged with people just before game time. The Golden 1 Center, so far at least, is a winner on both counts and won Facility of the Year. NBA Kings Managing Partner Vivek Ranadive credited his expansive team for delivering on every level and for building an arena worthy of its fans. “We don’t built cathedrals any more, but the new arena has become the 21st Century cathedral,” Ranadive said. “This is the gathering place. This is where people come to celebrate, to get together, and, yes, even to worship. In Sacramento, we’re blessed with having the best fans in the world, and now thanks to the efforts of all of these folks, we have an area, the Golden 1 Center, that our fans, their kids and even their grandkids can enjoy for years.” The arena is the only LEED Platinum facility in sports and has five towering glass doors that fold up, garage style, to create a distinctive indoor/outdoor feature. Ranadive said the Facility for the Year award is notable because it meant that first impressions were strong on the details, not just on the overall concept. “I have to give my team full credit for this because they simulated and went through everything that could possibly go wrong, whether it was traffic or congestion walking in,” Ranadive said. “There was no detail that was too small, and so kudos to the team. It’s been a pleasure to walk into the arena for our fans from the very first day we opened it.”
