The Ohio State University Covelli Multi-Sport Arena
Columbus, Ohio
Award of Merit
Owner: Ohio State University
Lead Design Firm: Moody Nolan Ltd.
General Contractor: Gilbane Building Co.
Structural Engineer: Jezerinac, Geers & Associates Inc.
Civil Engineer: EMH&T
MEP Engineer: IMEG Corp.
MEP Engineer 2: Dynamix Engineering
The 115,000-sq-ft Covelli Multi-Sport Arena is the latest in a line of projects Gilbane has completed for Ohio State University.
The 3,700-seat facility is home to more than 150 athletes in seven varsity sports and includes six floor configurations for various competitions. There are 10 team locker rooms with internally ventilated lockers, built-in sound systems, USB charging stations in each locker, study areas and film rooms. The interior design emphasizes natural daylight and specialized sports lighting. The main concourse at grade consists of an exterior with large south-facing windows, not typical for arenas relying on natural daylight.
A university with an enrollment of more than 46,000 presents enough challenges for any contractor. Gilbane is used to such challenges due to its decade of work at Ohio State. The contractor created logistics plans and wayfinding signage to keep traffic moving and away from the jobsite. Gilbane worked closely with the office of the chief information officer, the athletic department, the office of public safety and traffic management to avoid impacting classes and sporting events.
