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The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) Legacy Arena was opened up by removing its south-facing concrete facade and installing a three-story curtain wall. The renovation turned a bunker-like arrival into a transparent lobby with daylight and views toward downtown Birmingham, while the specified Solarban 72 Acuity glass was selected to limit solar heat gain on the predominantly south-facing elevation.
This was not a new arena project. It was a targeted intervention in the 1976 building, followed by a much broader upgrade to entrances, circulation, seating, concessions, restrooms and event systems. The facade work shows how an existing, structurally robust arena can gain a more public presence without rebuilding its primary frame.
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What changed at the Legacy Arena?
The central move was straightforward to describe but substantial to execute: the project team removed the existing concrete wall on the arena’s south side and replaced it with a three-story glazed curtain wall. The result exposes the lobby to natural light and gives visitors a visual connection to downtown rather than the blank, heavy exterior that had characterized the original entry.
The arena is part of the BJCC in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. Designed originally by George W. Qualls, it opened in 1976. The curtain-wall intervention was designed by Populous with CCR as a design participant. Trulite, based in Lithia Springs, Georgia, is identified in the project profile as the glass fabricator; photography is credited to Tom Kessler. Those roles are distinct: the architects developed the design, the design participant contributed to it, and the fabricator produced the glazing components.
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Building Enclosure’s project profile and Vitro Architectural Glass’s account describe the facade as part of a renovation of the existing multipurpose arena, not a replacement building.
Why use a curtain wall on a brutalist arena?
The stated design objective was to make the lobby dramatic, open and light-filled while adding views of downtown. Populous Principal Jim Swords said the curtain-wall system was chosen for those purposes. A glazed wall can provide a broad visual opening without asking the arena’s occupied floors to carry the weight of a conventional masonry enclosure; the building frame supports the curtain-wall anchors while the wall carries its own glass and framing loads.
For an arena, the change also affects wayfinding. Visitors can see activity in the building before passing through security or ticketing, and the concourses were opened to provide direct views into the seating bowl. That visual connection helps the building read as a civic venue rather than a sealed event box.
Transparency was not the only criterion. The new elevation faces predominantly south, so the design team had to balance daylight and views against unwanted heat from direct sun. The glass choice therefore formed part of the building-envelope strategy, not merely an aesthetic finish. Solar-control coating, frame design, shading conditions, air and water management, and the quality of installation all influence the final performance of a curtain wall.
What glass was specified for the south-facing facade?
The project account names Solarban 72 Acuity glass, a triple-silver coated product on an Acuity low-iron substrate. Low-iron glass is used when a design calls for a clearer, less green appearance, while the coating is intended to admit useful daylight and reduce solar heat entering the lobby.
Vitro reports two headline figures for this product in its 2024 project account:
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- 67% visible light transmittance (VLT): the manufacturer’s stated share of visible light transmitted through the glass.
- 72% solar heat gain blocked: the manufacturer’s stated product figure for reducing solar heat entering through the glazing.
Those numbers should be read as product data supplied by Vitro, not as a measured result for the installed Legacy Arena facade. The sources reviewed do not provide post-occupancy energy savings, an independent facade test, or a comparison with another glass system. Actual performance depends on the complete insulating-glass build-up, framing, orientation, surrounding buildings, interior loads, controls and workmanship.
How did the project handle the existing structure?
The project account says the existing arena was robust enough for the entire south side to be removed without structural modifications. That is a significant adaptive-reuse advantage: the team could change the enclosure while retaining the primary building structure. It avoided the cost and schedule exposure of reinforcing the main frame merely to create the new opening.
“Without structural modifications” did not mean that demolition was uncomplicated. Large entry stairs were removed, and storm-water pumps located beneath those stairs also had to be removed. Below-grade drainage and waterproofing are critical when an old entry sequence is altered. Any replacement slab, pit, trench or utility route must keep water away from the new lobby and maintain a reliable path for roof and site runoff.
A curtain wall also transfers wind pressure, dead load and movement demands to its anchors. Even when the main frame remains unchanged, the engineer must verify edge conditions, attachment locations, tolerances and movement joints. Existing construction rarely aligns perfectly with new modules, so surveys and field verification become as important as the design drawings.
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What would a curtain-wall replacement sequence look like?
The published project coverage does not provide a day-by-day construction schedule. A practical sequence for this type of renovation, however, follows the building-envelope and life-safety constraints below. The exact order is project-specific and must be set by the contractor, engineer and authority having jurisdiction.
- Survey the existing facade and below-grade services. Record structure, utilities, pumps, drainage, hazardous materials and the location of every proposed opening. Confirm that the existing frame can remain while the enclosure is removed.
- Set the temporary works and protection plan. Arena renovations require separation between demolition, public circulation and event operations. Temporary weather barriers, dust control, fire protection and egress routes must be established before the old wall is opened.
- Remove the entry elements and concrete enclosure in controlled zones. The Legacy Arena work included removal of the large stairs and the pumps beneath them. Demolition boundaries should preserve structural stability and prevent water from entering occupied areas.
- Prepare the slab edges and anchors. New embeds or anchors are surveyed against the curtain-wall shop drawings. Tolerances, corrosion protection, thermal breaks and fire-containment details are resolved before glazing begins.
- Install framing, perimeter seals and fire stopping. A curtain wall is a system, not just a grid of glass. Mullions, pressure plates or captured components, gaskets, backer materials, perimeter fire containment and transitions to the roof and side walls must work together.
- Set the insulating glass and complete closures. Solarban 72 Acuity units are installed according to the fabricator’s handling, setting-block and sealant requirements. Glass protection remains in place until adjacent trades are finished.
- Test and commission the enclosure. Water, air and structural testing are normally performed on representative areas or installed sections under the project’s specifications. The available data does not report results for this arena, so no project-specific test outcome should be assumed.
- Finish the lobby and reconnect building systems. Interior ceilings, floors, lighting, security, ticketing and mechanical systems must be coordinated with the new daylight and the altered entry geometry.
How does the new facade change the visitor experience?
The most immediate change is visual. Daylight reaches a lobby that had previously been behind a heavy concrete face, and people approaching the arena can see downtown through the glazed elevation. The stated goal was an open, light-filled lobby with views, so the curtain wall functions as both enclosure and orientation device.
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The opened concourses add a second layer of visibility: views into the seating bowl. That can make the arena feel active even before an event begins and helps visitors understand where they are in a large, complex building. It also creates design obligations. Glare, reflections, acoustics, bird-collision risk, cleaning access and nighttime light spill all need to be addressed in the detailed design, even though the published project sources do not report the specific measures used at Legacy Arena.
South-facing glass can produce high contrast between bright exterior conditions and darker interior surfaces. A high VLT product supports daylight, but interior finishes, lighting controls and shading strategy determine whether that daylight is comfortable. The manufacturer’s 72% solar-heat-blocking figure addresses a key part of the problem, but it does not by itself describe occupant comfort or annual energy use.
What other work was included in the arena renovation?
The curtain wall was one visible part of a wider modernization. The project included a new street-level main entrance after the large entry stairs were removed, along with new stairs, elevators and escalators. A tree-lined entry reshaped the approach to the building.
Inside, the scope included interior renovation, new signage, upgraded concessions and restrooms, premium seating levels with club boxes and VIP suites, new sound and lighting systems, and 360-degree ribbon boards. A larger loading dock was added for concerts and special events. These changes matter because an arena’s performance depends on circulation, back-of-house logistics and event technology as much as on its public facade.
The reported arena area is 335,000 square feet. Vitro’s project account lists capacities of 15,000 seats for basketball, 16,000 for center-stage concerts and 12,000 for end-stage concerts. Capacity varies by configuration because the floor, stage, back-of-house zones and spectator circulation change from event to event.
| Configuration | Reported capacity |
|---|---|
| Basketball | 15,000 seats |
| Center-stage concert | 16,000 seats |
| End-stage concert | 12,000 seats |
These figures come from Vitro’s 2024 project account. They are venue configuration figures, not evidence that the facade itself increased seating capacity.
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What can builders learn from the Legacy Arena facade?
Start with the public edge. Replacing a blank wall at the principal approach can change how an older building is perceived without altering every part of its structure. The value is architectural and operational: a clearer entry, better orientation and a stronger relationship with the city.
Check the structure before assuming replacement is impossible. The project team’s conclusion that the south side could be removed without structural modifications illustrates why existing-condition surveys and structural assessment should precede a concept decision. A robust frame can make an enclosure transformation feasible; a weak or irregular frame may make it expensive.
Treat solar control as an integrated decision. South-facing glazing requires more than selecting a coating by name. Designers must coordinate VLT, solar heat gain, color, reflectance, frame sightlines, shading, HVAC loads and interior lighting. Product figures are useful inputs, but they are not a substitute for whole-building modeling or field verification.
Plan below-grade work early. The pumps beneath the old entry stairs were an unexpected-looking but consequential part of the demolition scope. Drainage, waterproofing and utility conflicts can control the schedule even when the visible facade work appears straightforward.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Preserve event operations where possible. Arena work occurs around a calendar of games, concerts and conventions. Temporary egress, loading, security and weather protection should be designed as carefully as the permanent facade so that construction does not compromise life safety or the venue’s ability to host events.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is not known about the project’s performance?
The available sources are a manufacturer project account and a trade-publication profile based on that coverage. They establish the design intent, named participants, product selection and reported capacities, but they do not publish independent post-occupancy measurements. There is no documented project-specific figure for energy savings, cooling-load reduction, daylight autonomy, glare complaints or installed-facade test performance.
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That evidence limit is important when interpreting the project. The Legacy Arena curtain wall can be described accurately as a transparency and daylight intervention using a solar-control glass product. It cannot be presented as proof of a particular energy payback, comfort outcome or superiority over an alternative glazing system without additional measured data.
Why does this renovation matter for existing convention and arena buildings?
Large public venues often inherit opaque envelopes, complicated entries and circulation systems designed for a different era of security, technology and audience expectations. A facade replacement can address those issues at the point where visitors form their first impression, while a coordinated interior and back-of-house program improves the rest of the event experience.
Legacy Arena demonstrates a focused strategy: retain a capable 1970s structure, remove the visual barrier at the city-facing side, use a high-transmittance solar-control glass, and pair the envelope change with circulation and event-infrastructure upgrades. The approach is neither a cosmetic glass box nor a wholesale rebuild. It is an adaptive-reuse decision shaped by orientation, structure, drainage, operations and the demands of a multipurpose venue.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the original Legacy Arena open?
The arena opened in 1976 and was originally designed by George W. Qualls. The curtain-wall work is therefore a renovation of an existing venue rather than a new-arena construction project.
Does the new glass make the entire arena transparent?
No. The documented intervention is a three-story curtain wall on the south side, focused on the main public-facing lobby and adjacent concourse views. Other portions of the arena remain part of the existing enclosure.
Who fabricated the Legacy Arena curtain wall glass?
The project profile identifies Trulite, based in Lithia Springs, Georgia, as the glass fabricator. Populous is listed as architect and CCR as a design participant, so the credits should not be treated as interchangeable.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesAre the 67% and 72% figures measured at the completed arena?
They are product figures reported by Vitro Architectural Glass for Solarban 72 Acuity in its 2024 project account. The available coverage does not report independent measurements of the installed facade or post-occupancy energy performance.
