Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Project Description:

Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum was originally wrapped in a glass curtain wall that flooded the interior with daylight and housed a self-supporting concrete seating bowl. The project focused on the seating bowl and essential code-driven improvements, preserving the building’s historic language while elevating accessibility, safety, and sustainability for present and future users. The VMC was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009 and designated a National Treasure by the National Trust. A central design goal was to honor the VMC’s iconic geometry — the oval bowl suspended within a glass envelope — while delivering a more comfortable and inclusive spectator experience. All fixed seating was replaced with wider, cushioned seats to reduce fatigue. Code-required improvements to handrails, guardrails and stepped aisles were implemented, and accessible seating and loge boxes broaden viewing options. An updated numbering and signage system enhances wayfinding and aligns with refreshed branding while preserving the International Style’s legibility. Beyond seating, the project modernized life-safety and support spaces. The result is a capacity shift from 12,004 to 10,480, balancing safety, comfort and practicality. Socially, the renovation strengthens VMC’s role as a cultural anchor, expanding inclusive seating and improving wayfinding while preserving its International Style and inviting broader participation for decades to come.