Project Description
After sitting empty for nearly five decades, the historic Uline Arena, a sprawling brick masonry structure with a concrete barrel-vault roof in Washington, D.C., has been transformed into a mixed-use development with REI as its first tenant.
CallisonRTKL collaborated with REI to create a store design befitting the storied space. Original seating from the arena was incorporated as a wall installation. Wood panels used to cover the ice hockey rink during basketball games finish the east interior wall. Vintage posters honoring musicians and bands from D.C.’s go-go, punk, and bluegrass scenes create a unique art display.
Taking cues from indoor, urban marketplaces, REI’s distinct merchandise and service areas offer a more human-scale environment, such as the bike shop which is inspired by the look and layout of a test kitchen. Additionally, an interior courtyard contains one of the arena’s original flying buttresses which adds drama to the space while a mural, spray paint on concrete, celebrates the outdoors with an urban spin.