After holding practices in Deerfield, Ill. since 1992, the Chicago Bulls moved into their new Advocate Center practice facility in downtown Chicago in early 2015. Situated directly next door to the United Center - where the Bulls play their home basketball games - the new practice facility eliminated what had previously been a half-hour commute for the players, coaches and team staff. Multiple architectural metal wall products from CENTRIA were used to create the new structure.
Features such as two full-length basketball courts, media and weight rooms, a miniature barbershop, a hydrotherapy area, a kitchen-dining area and more, make the Advocate Center a first-class facility.
Energy-efficient technologies allow players and coaches alike to operate each room’s electricity and temperature from a single device, while a fiber optic line between the building and the United Center provides access to instantly share information.
Considered by some league officials as a “basketball palace”, the architectural firm turned to CENTRIA to help build a new state-of-the-art building that would house the six-time NBA champions.
CENTRIA’s Formawall Dimension Series insulated metal panel systems were selected for the construction of the Advocate Center to help create the contemporary façade. Not only do the Dimension Series metal panels lend themselves to a smooth aesthetic, but also present high-performance thermal efficiency and moisture control features. The lightweight panels allow for easy installation, often requiring less framing.
Providing maximum thermal performance and moisture control, the Formawall Dimension Series panels include a factory foam-insulated core, minimizing insulation gaps, along with a thermal break between the face and the liner. Utilizing pressure equalization along the length of the horizontal joinery, the horizontal panels provide superior weather resistance, an essential factor in a town that lives up to its name as the “Windy City”.
CENTRIA’s Concept Series Concealed Fastener Panels were implemented on the north side of the building, a façade that features opaque glass at eye level and becomes increasingly transparent at high levels to allow fans outside of the downtown facility to see the franchise’s six championship banners in the rafters. CENTRIA’s Concept Series Fastener Panels provide thousands of combinations of articulation, shadows and sight lines, along with a complete line of design, finish, integration, special systems and detail options.
Architects were HOK of Chicago, IL, and NORR Illinois Inc. of Chicago, IL; the CENTRIA products dealer was G&L Associates Inc. of Des Plaines, IL; the CENTRIA products installer was Pinto Construction Company of Palos Hills, IL; serving as contractor was McHugh Construction Co. of Chicago, IL.
The 60,000 sq. ft. basketball practice facility was completed in 2015.
CENTRIA products used on this project included:
• Formawall Dimension Series Horizontal - Square Feet: 24,020; Color: Silversmith; Coating: Sundance Mica; Finish: Smooth; Gauge: 22/26.
• Formawall® Dimension Series® Horizontal - Square Feet: 7,821; Color: Medium Gray; Coating: Sundance AM; Finish: Smooth; Gauge: 22/26.
• Concept Series® Concealed Fastener Panels CS-660 - Square Feet: 1,858; Color: Silversmith; Coating: Sundance Mica; Finish: Smooth; Gauge: 22.
• Concept Series Concealed Fastener Panels CS-610 - Square Feet: 747; Color: Silversmith; Coating: Sundance Mica; Finish: Smooth; Gauge: 22.
• C/S Louvers.