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Virginia Beach

Sports Center

Virginia Beach's new Sports Center bolsters off-season tourism, offering a state-of-the-art venue for youth, NCAA, and professional sports events.

Virginia Beach, recognized for its vibrant summer tourism, has enhanced its off-season appeal with the addition of the new Virginia Beach Sports Center. This multipurpose venue marks a strategic development in the city's tourism sector, attracting a diverse array of sports events ranging from youth leagues to NCAA and professional competitions and elevating its status as a year-round destination. Managed by Eastern Sports Management and owned by the City of Virginia Beach, the complex is equipped with state-of-the-art amenities tailored to meet the needs of traveling teams, athletes, and spectators.

The Sports Center is a key catalyst in the Central Beach District Master Plan, broadening year-round attractions with national sports tourism and enriching cultural experiences for both locals and visitors. Located within proximity to the oceanfront, the Sports Center reimagines the conventional concept of a sports complex with innovative architectural and functional elements.

The facade features metal panels in two subtly differing finishes that interact with sunlight to create a dynamic visual effect. Translucent and clear panels are thoughtfully integrated to modulate daylight and frame external views. A canopy, painted a vibrant sunrise orange, draws attention to the main entrance and the adjoining outdoor plaza, contributing to the building's distinctive aesthetic. 

The 200-meter indoor hydraulically banked track, a first in the U.S., offers the largest banking angle for an indoor track in the nation.

The facility features 12 hardwood basketball courts, convertible into 24 volleyball courts, and is equipped with athlete-specific amenities like lockers, bathrooms, and doping control rooms that comply with NCAA and professional standards. Additionally, it offers versatile meeting spaces, spectator seating for 5,000, gourmet concessions, and rentable areas for public events.

Basketball Courts
Gourmet Concessions
Track + Field
A light-filled connector bridges two main pre-engineered metal buildings, merging active lobbies and indoor amenities. This integration of transparent and translucent panels minimizes the perceived mass of the exterior and manipulates light and shadow, ensuring a visual connection between the indoor activities and the external plaza and landscape.
STATS
285,000
Square Foot Facility
200m
Hydraulic Banked Track
5,000+
Spectator Seats

The design team was led by Hanbury, in collaboration with Clark Nexsen.

Information
  • Sector: Civic + Community
  • Scope: Architecture
  • Virginia Beach, Virginia
  • 2020
  • 285,000 SF
  • Photos courtesy of © Dave Chance Photography
Awards
  • Sports & Recreation, Gyms & Recreation Centers Finalist, Architizer A+Awards, 2023
  • Award of Merit, AIA Virginia, 2022
  • Merit Award, AIA Triangle, 2022
  • Merit Award, AIA Hampton Roads, 2022
  • Award of Excellence, Best Recreational/Entertainment/Hospitality Project, HRACRE, 2021
Project Team
David Keith
Principal
Alec Yuzhbabenko
Design Lead
Kevin J. Kattwinkel
Project Manager
Adam Schultz
Project Architect
Ramon E. Soledispa
Project Architect
Collaborators
Clark Nexsen
Prime Architect
American Sports Center
Athletic/Sports Consultant
Phase 5 Performance
Athletic/Sports Consultant
Beynon
Athletic/Sports Consultant
Integrated Consulting Group
Facility Planner