CASE STUDY NO.

1
Project: Galen Center
Location: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
Architect: HNTB Corporation

Fig. 1: Galen Center Exterior

Summary:
Galen Center is the on-campus sports center of the USC. Its main function is a
sports arena but events such as concerts, theatre, conventions, etc. are also
entertained. The 23,690 square-meter arena is able to house 10,258 seats, not
including the attached 4,180 square-meter facility, called the Athletic Pavilion,
which includes additional practice rooms, 1,000 seats, and offices. The Pavilion
has a vertical retractable wall system so that the floor area may be maximized
during practices or actual private games. The large scale arena was built to
accommodate not only the students and faculty members of USC, but as well as
the community of Southern California.

Fig. 2: Events Level Floor Plan

Fig. 3: Main Concourse Floor Plan

Fig. 4: Galen Center Interior

Findings and Analysis:

Utility rooms that house mechanical and electrical equipment as typically located
in areas far from the main spaces, like the back of the structure or near the
service entrances and exits, and are protected by security measures like fire
resistive walls and metal doors with appropriate signage. The mechanical,
electrical, and telecommunications rooms of Galen Center are located adjacent
the main entrance and the main entryway to the court, in an area that is usually
crowded at the beginning and end of a game or show. Although this will ensure
that maintenance staff will be able to access the rooms easily, the utility rooms
are still in an area where patrons can easily see and access them as well. As a
counterpoint, however, these areas are also with the heaviest security; therefore
if any unauthorized personnel try to enter the utilities, guards and employees
can intervene.
Fan rooms and other electrical and telecommunications rooms are located across
the events and concourse floors. Since the arena is vast and it uses a lot of
power and equipment, utilities are spread out to make certain that there will be
little to no technical difficulties. The separation of these rooms from other spaces
was only achieved through thicker walls so that in case of fires or explosions, the
predicament will not spread quickly.
Galen Center has 134 public toilets, 14 of which are for persons with disability;
divided into 7 restrooms for women and 7 restrooms for men. Restrooms for the
players are separated into visitors and home court; both have 6 water closets, 10
showers, and 4 lavatories. The home court restrooms are further divided into the

basketball team and the volleyball team, resulting in 6 total restrooms for all the
teams, 3 of which are for men and 3 for women. As there are usually 12 to 13
members of a team, this quantity of restrooms is more than enough to
accommodate the whole team.
The primary sporting events taking place in Galen are basketball and volleyball,
while secondary sporting events include boxing, skateboarding, tennis, etc. The
large, rectangular plan of the basketball court makes it a flexible stage for any
other occasion.
Scaling the basketball court as a standard National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) court with dimensions of 15.24m by 28.65m, the following
approximations were made:
SPACE
Stage/Court Area
Lower Seating Area
Upper Seating Area
Lobby
*Founders Club
Founders Club Patio
Founders Club Kitchen
Athletic Administration Office
Security Office
Ticketing Office
Security Check & Entryway
Hall of Fame
Merchandise (with storage room)
Concessions (4 P.O.S.) with prep. area
Visitors Locker Room (with showers and
toilets)
Officials Locker Room (with shower and
toilet)
Locker Room and Lounge (with showers
and toilets)
Coachs Room (with showers and toilets)
Weight Room (with toilet)
Laundry Room with Uniform Storage
Broadcast Room (with toilet)
Media Workroom
Classroom
**Aramark Operations
Aramark Food Services
Goods Drop-off Area
Womens Toilets
Mens Toilets
Storage
Mechanical Room
Electrical & Telecommunications Room
Substation
Fan Room (HVAC)

APPROXIMATE AREA
625m2
320 m2
2,410 m2
380 m2
635 m2
430 m2
240 m2
765 m2
90 m2
90 m2
90 m2
430 m2
275 m2
100 m2
140 m2
25 m2
165 m2
60 m2
390 m2
120 m2
130 m2
100 m2
110 m2
620 m2
715 m2
200 m2
65 m2
50 m2
15 m2
30 m2
25 m2
70 m2
20 m2

*Galen Centers multipurpose hall

** Aramark is a customer service business across food, facilities and uniforms

Design Strategies:

Position the utility rooms in areas inconspicuous to the spectators, but can
be easily accessed by maintenance staff
Utility rooms shall be protected by thick walls with the appropriate fire
resistance rating as well as acoustic buffers so as not to disrupt main
activities
Provide ample area for concessionaires so that even with a multitude of
patrons can be served efficiently
Create a PWD friendly environment (ie placing ramps, areas for PWD in the
seating chart, etc.)
Provide sufficient space for the seats so that the patrons will not have
trouble in accessing them
Provide sufficient waiting areas for patrons
Restroom design should carry out cleanliness at all times
Provide essential facilities such as Equipment Storage Room
Sound-proof the area so that the sound from the arena doesnt disturb
surrounding areas
Simple yet eye-catching interior to entice the viewing experience of
passengers/visitors. Can be achieved using the right usage of color
palettes, finishes and furniture

References:

University of Southern California. (2016). About the Galen Center. Retrieved

November 2016, from Galen Center Web Site: http://www.galencenter.org/arenainfo/about

Clark Construction Group. (2016). Galen Event Center: A Multipurpose Indoor

Arena & Athletic Facility. Retrieved November 2016, from Clark Construction Web
Site: https://www.clarkconstruction.com/our-work/projects/galen-event-center