The New York Liberty, ranked No. 1 in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), will play the Minnesota Lynx, ranked No. 2 in the WNBA, for the WNBA Finals, split between the two teams’ home-court venues from October 10–20, in a best-of-five series.
Games 1 and 2 (and game 5, if necessary) will be played at the Liberty’s home court at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on October 10 and 13 (and October 20, if necessary), as the team is the No. 1 overall seed, giving them the home-court advantage.
Game 3 (and game 4, if necessary) will be played at the Lynx home court at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on October 16 (and October 18, if necessary).
In this article, Facilities Management Advisor will be profiling the Barclays Center since it’s home to the WNBA’s No. 1 overall team.
Whether you watch the games from a stadium seat or see all the action from the comfort of your home, you’ll likely be cheering on your favorite WNBA team to be crowned the 2024 basketball champion.
While the players on the floor are where the action is, facilities professionals worldwide will be focused on one of the show’s other stars: Barclays Center.
What You Need to Know
- Name: Barclays Center
- Location: Brooklyn, New York
- Owner: Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE) Global
- Cost to build: $1 Billion
- Seating capacity: 17,732 seats for basketball and up to 19,000 seats for concerts along with seating in 101 luxury suites. The facility boasts “one of the most intimate seating configurations ever designed for a modern multi-purpose arena.”
- Size (total area): 670,000 square feet
- Levels: 5
- Key building materials: Sharples Holden and Pasquarelli (SHop) Architects, one of the architectural firms involved with the project, said the facility’s exterior is adorned with 12,000 uniquely-shaped panels in weathered steel that mimic the color and scale of nearby brownstone neighborhoods.
- Notable features: 30-foot-high steel canopy reaching 8 feet over the main entrance plaza at the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues. The canopy is a 3D metal structure, made of weathered steel—a design intended to blend in with the surrounding urban landscape while also creating a sense of arrival for visitors—and features an oculus, a unique architectural feature of the canopy at Barclays Center. The oculus is an elliptical and funnel-like shape as large as the size of a basketball court, and provides a dramatic view of the sky. An eye-catching element within the oculus is the 3,000-square-foot LED board, which can be used for public service announcements as well as advertisements. It can display both videos and graphics and promotes events taking place inside the Barclays Center.
- Year opened: 2012
- Renovations: Three projects in 2021 including an American Express autonomous store; a new courtside lounge called Crown Club, just steps from the basketball court; a locker room renovation for the Liberty basketball team; and two new membership clubs in 2024 (which are explained below in the “Renovations” section).
- Primary uses: National Basketball Association (NBA) Brooklyn Nets (which was previously called the “New Jersey Nets” before they moved to Brooklyn) (2012–present), Liberty (2020–present), National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Long Island University Brooklyn Sharks (2012–present), and the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) New York Mavericks (2024–present).
- Secondary uses: Scheduled events include World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Disney on Ice, Monster Jam, Harlem Globetrotters, the 2028 NCAA Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds, and a variety of concerts like Iron Maiden, Maverick City Music, and Marc Anthony.
- Interesting tidbit: Barclays’ officials say that because of successful music events held at the venue, the center is “one of the most popular arenas in the world, ranked top ten nationally in 2018 for gross revenue and attendance by Billboard and Pollstar.”
- Past uses: National Hockey League (NHL) New York Islanders (2015–2020) and host of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2019 and 2022.
What’s in a Name?
Barclays Center is named after Barclays Bank. The bank agreed to pay $400 million for a 20-year naming rights deal, reported in January 2007.
The deal was renegotiated in 2009, before the center opened, with arena developer Forest City Ratner, to $200 million.
Prior to opening, North Shore Neon Sign Co. used professional sign hangers and electrical technicians to assemble and install interior illuminated signage of the venue’s name “Barclays Center,” and above the large jumbotron in the center of the court.
“Barclays Center” is also prominently displayed in large light-blue letters outside the arena including what is now the Qatar Airways VIP entrance on Atlantic Avenue, the main atrium entrance at the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues, and even on the rooftop!
There has been previous talk of renaming the facility after Jackie Robinson, the former Brooklyn Dodger who became the first black man in major league baseball in 1947. Also, there have been rumors that Barclays could end its contract early since it no longer has retail banking locations in the U.S.
However, Barclays continues to own naming rights through 2033.
Unique Features
One Piece of a Large Puzzle
Barclays Center is part of a $4.9 billion business and residential complex, now known as Pacific Park, formerly known as Atlantic Yards.
Perhaps the largest part of the project to date, Bruce Ratner, Executive Chairman of Forest City Ratner Companies, and the developer of Barclays Center and Atlantic Yards, said, “Barclays Center has made a tremendous difference in the entire city—it’s become an icon overnight all over the world. I get compliments from everybody. They say it’s one of the most important things to happen in this city in many, many years.”
Completed parts of the Pacific Park project include 461 Dean Street, the tallest modular building in the world with 363 units; 535 Carlton an 18-story, 298-unit building; 550 Vanderbilt Avenue, a luxury condo with 278 units; 38 Sixth Avenue, with 303 units; and B15 tower (also known as 664 Pacific Street) with 323 units.
Non-residential components include restaurants, cafes, shops, public spaces and park areas, and the Atlantic Terminal transportation hub providing subway and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) connections.
Renovations
Two “new and distinct open concept, premium membership clubs” have opened this past fall at Barclays Center, which include “Toki Row” and “Jet Blue at The Key” requiring an annual membership with access to Nets and Liberty Games as well as other events.
Toki Row: The North Side of Suite Level B has been converted to include a 12,000-square foot lounge with a historic brownstone theme reminiscent of Brooklyn buildings. This lounge allows up to 184 members to have access to Qatar Airways VIP entrance and upholstered theater box seating as well as an all-inclusive buffet with dessert station. Alcohol is available for purchase at a full-service private cocktail bar.
JetBlue at The Key: The South Side of Suite Level B has been converted to look like a basketball center court. This 11,000-square-foot space allows up to 252 members to have access to luxury suite-style reserved seating as well as an all-inclusive buffet with a dessert station. While alcohol is available for purchase here, this is the only location in Barclays Center to have beer on tap.
“Our guests have expressed a desire for greater club access with elevated food and beverage offerings, and we believe these enhancements represent an actionable step to continue to deliver a world-class experience for them.
“We are excited about the opportunity to create a timeless, non-traditional experience that builds generational fandom while also drawing new guests to Barclays Center in unique ways,” said Shanon Ferguson, Chief Hospitality Officer at BSE Global.
Spotlight to Local Businesses
The arena’s Brooklyn Taste program allows Brooklyn food businesses to expand their markets by integrating with this venue. Food options that are part of the program include jerk chicken, plantains, jerk tacos, burgers, authentic Mexican tacos, Nathan’s Famous hot dogs, Junior’s cheesecakes, and a Brooklyn-style bodega with chips, snacks, and iced tea.
“It’s safe to say when the building opened, our Brooklyn Taste program was something that we thought would be really cool but it’s evolved.
“It’s something we’ve all become just so passionate about and finding our local partners, watching them grow—grow with us [and] grow with each other. It makes us better,” Chris Giacalone, who was head of food and beverage for Barclays Center, said. Giacalone currently serves as Vice President of Hospitality and Strategy for Levy at Barclays Center.
Sustainability
Award-Winning
Barclays Center became the first professional sports and entertainment venue in the New York metro area to achieve LEED Silver Certification for New Construction from the U.S. Green Building Congress.
“From site selection to materials used, we were focused on building one of the most sustainable arenas in the country,” said Ratner. Examples include:
Green Roof
Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Operations, and Management (AECOM), one of the architectural firms that Barclays Center worked with, said that the center has a 135,000-square-foot green roof with 3,500 trays of mixed sedum plants to help dampen sound during events and to bring beneficial honeybees to pollinate the surrounding area.
Silktown Roofing, Inc., the roofing contractor who installed the roof said, “this is the largest-ever green roof to cover a sporting venue,” adding that the system absorbs rainwater and reduces stress on the sewer system.
Energy-Efficient Design
The facility has an energy-efficient design that includes “free cooling for the majority of the year provided by a 100% air-side economizer with heat recovery systems to preheat and pre-cool the vast amount of outside air required for ventilation,” according to WSP, who designed the system. The system can adapt based on how many people are in the center, saving energy.
Additionally, the center has high-efficiency, gas-fired domestic water heaters as well as low-flow plumbing and waterless systems that conserve water in the restrooms.
A building-wide programmable system controls lighting so that it can be set based on the event being hosted.
Transportation
For those who want to go green by saving gas, there are several mass transportation options to get to Barclays Center. The center coordinates with the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) to expand subway service for major concerts and sporting events. They also are located near the Atlantic Terminal of the LIRR. Late-night service is usually provided for late-night events.
Security
Cameras
Barclays Center might be one of the most watched pieces of property in Brooklyn with almost a dozen cameras high on lampposts by New York City Police Department (NYPD) that were installed in 2013 making the entire property viewable from any angle, with round-the-clock live feeds of crowds.
Bags
Barclays Center discourages people from bringing in unnecessary bags.
But if they must, guests should not bring in bags larger than 14” x 14” x 6”. Considerations are made for guests with medical needs and those caring for infants.
Prohibited Items
While you could imagine certain items, like weapons, are prohibited from Barclays Center, other items that you may not realize are prohibited from the arena. These include professional camera equipment; selfie sticks; signs, flags, and banners larger than 11”x17”; and pointed tip or large umbrellas.
Additionally, noisemakers, air horns, bells, bull horns, and whistles are also prohibited.
A Facility That’s a Slam Dunk
Whether it’s the new premium membership club lounges, the oculus, the unique architectural design, the various renovations, food offerings, or sustainable practices, Barclays Center is a one-of-a-kind facility that’s proud to host the WNBA Finals in 2024.