It Begins With a Bold Vision
Building Climate Pledge Arena
Some may say that the journey to Climate Pledge Arena was an impossible feat. To take something old and make it new, to bring a rich part of Seattle’s history to life again in the present, to make the impossible possible.
The 18,100-seat arena features a completely redesigned interior with new clubs and social spaces, all while preserving the history of the site. Additional highlights include a new atrium, pedestrian plaza, and a premium space that offers views of the event floor, atrium and the iconic Space Needle. The complex renovation has been likened to "building a ship in a bottle,” as crews lifted and suspended a 44-million-pound roof over the project site as the arena’s footprint was expanded underground and the walls were rebuilt. Mortenson relied on intense team collaboration, top-down construction, and digital tools to simulate the built environment.
On October 19, 2021, the impossible dream was realized—Climate Pledge Arena opened its doors for the first time to host a private Foo Fighters concert, followed by a sold-out Coldplay grand opening concert and a sold-out Seattle Kraken inaugural home opener.
Since its opening, the privately funded $1B arena has hosted 72 events, ushering a total of 725,000 guests through the doors. This includes 29 sold-out Seattle Kraken games, 14 concerts and family events, 9 basketball games and 20 private events.
This video is how we got here.