America West Arena Platinum Club Lounge

The lament of Jerry Colangelo, the Chairman, CEO, and Managing General Partner of the Phoenix Suns, that “too many Phoenix Suns fans are watching the games in their living rooms and not coming to the arena,” prompted the recommendation that he “bring the living room to the arena.” The living room atmosphere was thus conceptually transplanted into the Platinum Club Executive Lounge at the America West Arena. Intimate lounges with built-in couches, ottomans, and sofas flow into one another to instigate cross-socialization, replacing the existing sealed skybox typology.

Occupying the northern quarter-section of the 3rd level at the American West Arena, the 16, 600 sq.ft. Platinum Club presents a contemporary concept in arena design. The premise is centered on an intimate, upscale lounge that operates food and bar service while remaining completely open to the arena’s events. In contrast to the existing box suites—also higher-priced, private seating options at the arena—the Platinum Club is intended to provide the same level and quality of service while maintaining an environment for viewing the game that is more connected to the rest of the arena. Blond Maple panels arc, bend and sweep out to the main stadium seats. The wood panels generate from the circulating core and terminate at the upper loggia. Architecturally, the desired effect is to reproduce a kind of microcosm of the entire stadium and to use a continuous form which folds back into the fabric of its larger scale context.

In plan, the Platinum Club is divided into six zones, each separated by a gap in the ceiling element above and a circulation axis below. A bar serves as a local service hub for the two seating zones flanking it. Within each zone, four situationally distinct seating types occur proceeding from the outer most area of the Club into the core of the stadium. These four tiers comprise the microcosmic section of the overall arena and include the Lounge, the Bar Seating, the “Living Room” suites, and the Club Level Arena seats. Each zone provides guests with a unique relationship both to the action on the court and with neighboring ticket-holders.

The most public and open area of the Platinum Club is the Lounge and it is also the most physically removed from a direct view of the game. With its luxury couch and table arrangement, this section offers intimate drinking and dining options for pre-game, during, and post-game gathering. Architectural separation between the Lounge and Living Room sections is achieved by introducing a fourth component to the Club arrangement: Bar Seating. The Bar Seating section incorporates a curved elevated platform with 20 bar seats in each section and a floating glass counter. Here the occupant can view the arena event or participate in the club activity.

The Platinum Club’s updated version of box seats includes segmented sofa/ottoman configurations and table seating for maximum lounging comfort while offering full event viewing. The table seating incorporates a floating glass counter and full cushioned seats, which swivel back to the sofa, thus completing a “living room” seating arrangement for further intimate gatherings. Unlike cellular box seats, this setting allows for a lounge-like atmosphere and private gatherings as well as for communication among separate parties. In front and below these zones remains the Club Level Arena Section, which provides 20” full cushioned upholstered seating with eating trays and beverage holders. Here Club guests have access to the lounge but can feel effectively extended out into the main seating area of the arena.