Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC, USA

In the historical centre of Charlotte, North Carolina, the “Time Warner Cable Arena” was recently inaugurated as the home court of the Charlotte Bobcats NBA team. It was built by the City of Charlotte for the citizens of Charlotte and perfectly heralds the past, present and future of the “Queen City”. The red brick used for the exterior façades reflects the strong industrial past of the city, and it is married with metal and glass panels to reflect the modern direction and economical strength of the city. Another important aspect of the new structure is its model function in respect of the use of materials seen throughout the historical quarter of the city. Here among the historical buildings, red brick can be seen everywhere – particularly in the old mills, warehouses and factories of the once thriving textile industry. So red brick was the natural choice for the architects of the arena. Besides red-flashed utility bricks for the façades and yellow-variegated bricks for the decorative bands, specially shaped bricks were used for the tapered columns adorning the entrance to the arena.