Haas Pavilion
| Pete Newell Court | |
 |
|
| Former names | Men's Gym (1933–1959) Harmon Gym (1959–1997) |
|---|---|
| Location | 14 Frank Schlessinger Way Berkeley, CA 94720 |
| Coordinates | 37°52′9.82″N 122°15′43.9″W / 37.8693944°N 122.262194°WCoordinates: 37°52′9.82″N 122°15′43.9″W / 37.8693944°N 122.262194°W |
| Public transit |
 Downtown Berkeley
|
| Owner | University of California, Berkeley |
| Operator | University of California, Berkeley |
| Capacity | 11,858 (2015–present) 11,877 (2003-2015) 11,892 (2002–2003) 12,300 (1999-2002) 6,578 (1988–1997) 6,660 (1981–1988) 7,200 (1933–1981) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | November 1931 |
| Opened | January 13, 1933 |
| Renovated | 1999 |
| Construction cost | $727,500 (original) ($13.5 million in 2017 dollars) $57.5 million (renovation) ($82.7 million in 2017 dollars) |
| Architect |
George W. Kelham (Original) Ellerbe Becket (Renovation) |
| General contractor | Schuler & McDonald |
| Tenants | |
| California Golden Bears (NCAA) (1933–1997, 1999–present) | |
The Walter A. Haas, Jr. Pavilion is the home of the University of California Golden Bears men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and men's and women's gymnastics teams. The arena is located in the middle of the main University of California sports complex, overlooking Evans Diamond (baseball) and Edwards Stadium (track/soccer).
The arena was originally built in 1933 as the Men's Gym. It was renamed Harmon Gym in 1959, after Oakland financier A.K.P. Harmon, who donated the funds to build Cal's first indoor athletic facility in 1879. Lou Campanelli tried to have it renamed "Harmon Arena" when he became coach, but it never really caught on. The playing surface, after being known as simply "Room 100" since the arena opened, was renamed Pete Newell Court in 1987 in honor of Pete Newell, who led Cal to the national championship in 1959.
Proposals for replacing the old gym were bandied about from the 1970s onward, but sentiment was strongly in favor of rebuilding it instead. As a result, the arena was heavily renovated from 1997 to 1999 after a donation of about $11 million from Walter A. Haas, Jr. of Levi Strauss & Co., building a new seating bowl within the existing walls.
The new facility retains the intimate atmosphere of its predecessor, while having almost two times the seating capacity at 11,858 (originally 12,300 and later 11,877). In particular, there are no soundproofing devices. The arena contains The Bench, a courtside section that holds approximately 900 student fans. The amount of student seating doubled from the old arena, up to 2,600 from 1,300. It also holds the Pacific-10 Women's Basketball attendance record of 10,525 people, set during a game against rival Stanford University on February 23, 2008.
...
Wikipedia