When one talks about the old barns of the game, storied sites such as Maple Leaf Gardens come to mind. Probably the last building that would come to mind is Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena (formerly called the Civic Arena), affectionately known by the locals as the "Igloo."
No kidding. Next to Toronto's ice palace, Pittsburgh has the second oldest facility that is still in use. It is not as old as the Depression Era projects such the former St. Louis Arena or Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium. It doesn't invoke hockey traditions like the Boston Garden, Montreal Forum or even the relatively younger Spectrum in Philadelphia. Yet as designs go, the Civic Arena is perhaps one of the NHL's most unique.
Back in 1947, however, hockey was not the city's motivation for planning an arena on the Lower Hill District. It seems that Pittsburgh's Civic Light Opera, which had been playing at the University of Pittsburgh Football Stadium, was tired of having its performances rained out. It would take 11 years for planners to work out the details. Groundbreaking was finally held on April 25, 1957.
The arena finally opened on September 17, 1961. What had been constructed was one of the most unique structures of its time, a giant dome that retracted. In initial construction of the roof cost $2 million. It consisted of eight sections cut at 45-degree angles, six of which are able to rotate on 3,000 feet of rails. The girders, 34 feet above the floor, slope at a 13-degree angle. With each section of the roof powered by five motors, the arena can open completely in about two and a half minutes.
Other dimensions of the dome were impressive for their time:
Weight: 3,653 tons
Diameter: 417 feet
Area: 166,000 feet of stainless steel sheeting
Height: 155 feet above the ice surface
Strangely enough, the building did not have an official name at the time it was dedicated. The "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" began referring to it as the Civic Arena and the title stuck. The authority which managed the facility, wanted to call it the "Civic Auditorium," and even had its ushers wear buttons with that name. In the end, however, the authority relented to public opinion in October 1962 and formally adopted "Civic Arena."
The first hockey team in the Civic Arena was not the Penguins, but the Pittsburgh Hornets, an AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings which had relocated from nearby Duquesne Gardens. In 1967, the Hornets captured the Calder Cup (league championship) in what was their final season.
Just prior to the Penguins moving in during the late summer of 1967, the rink had to be shortened lengthwise and widthwise by 5 feet each way in order to conform to the NHL's 200 feet by 85 feet dimensions.
During their formative years, the Penguins struggled both on the ice and on the balance sheet. At the end of the 1974-75 season (after blowing a 3-0 series lead to the New York Islanders) the team was on the verge of bankruptcy. With a debt of $6.5 million, the franchise went into receivership, and the IRS padlocked the doors of the team's offices at the Civic Arena. The Penguins also had to pay a fine before they could return.
Additional seating levels would be subsequently added in 1975 and 1993. Capacity gradually increased from 12,000 to just over 17,000. In 1995, a bigger scoreboard was added, but produced one major drawback: the dome could no longer be opened completely due to the extra weight.
In its first four decades of history, the Mellon Arena has hosted many tenants: the American Basketball League's Rens, the American Basketball Association's Pipers and Condors, World Team Tennis' Triangles, the Major Indoor Soccer League's Spirit, the Major Soccer League's Stingers, the Arena Football League's Gladiators, the Major Indoor Lacrosse League's Bulls, Roller Hockey International's Phantoms, and the Duquesne University basketball teams.
The Mellon Arena was originally intended to house Pittsburgh's leading theater company, but within seven years, the Civic Light Opera would relocate across town. The Pittsburgh Penguins would outlast all of its neighbors and provide drama of a different sort.
Source: In the Crease
Fans call the home of the Penguins the Igloo because it looks rather forbidding. Located halfway up "The Hill," Mellon Arena was originally designed for use by the Civic Light Opera. But when the retractable roof was opened, their sound blew out, so the CLO moved on and the Penguins moved in.
The roof isn't opened that often and never for hockey games, but it works well. Built in 1961 of 2,950 tons of Pittsburgh steel, the arena features the largest retractable stainless steel roof in the world. The roof has no interior supports -- which means there are few obstructed-view seats in the Arena. The roof is 170,000 square feet and is designed to open or close in 2.5 minutes. The Igloo seats 17,537 for hockey and 18,500 for concerts. There are 56 skyboxes and 1,696 in-arena luxury seats. The arena also features the Igloo Club which can accommodate over 400 people for banquet functions. Located in the heart of Pittsburgh, the Civic Arena serves 2.7 million people in the Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia areas.
Mellon Arena history
* First regular-season game: Oct. 11, 1967, 2-1 loss to the Canadiens
* First Stanley Cup finals game: May 15, 1991, 5-4 over the Minnesota North Stars
* April 25, 1989: Mario Lemieux ties an NHL playoff record for scoring five goals -- four in one period -- when Pittsburgh wins Game 5 of the division final against Philadelphia, 10-7.
Copyright 2002 by Aerial Views Publishing
THE ULTIMATE SPORTS ROAD TRIP
By: Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell
| Mellon Arena Ranking by USRT |
| Architecture |  | 8 |
| Concessions | | 1.5 |
| Scoreboard | | 2 |
| Ushers | | 7 |
| Fan Support | | 7 |
| Location | | 8 |
| Banners/History | | 80 |
| Entertainment | | 5 |
| Concourses/Fan Comfort | | 3 |
| Bonus: Ads on Ceiling | | 2 |
| Total Score |  | 51.5 |
April 17, 2000 & March 27, 2004 - The 'Burgh is a regular and familiar stop for the Ultimate Sports Road Trip. Being just a three hour plus drive from Buffalo, it is then surprising that we have made but two trips to see the Penguins play... the first "official" visit was in 2000, and that was amidst an electric scene as the Penguins were fighting hard in the playoffs, but by 2004 things had changed drastically. The team has sold off its veterans for prospects, attendance has fallen off substantially, and the clamor for a new arena to keep this franchise financially viable is growing louder.
"Pittsburgh Civic Arena" opened in the mid 60s and is the only home the Penguins have ever had. It was designed and engineeered as a retractable roof dome, but the hydraulic jacks never worked properly and the roof has remained closed ever since. The entire mechanism is affixed to the arched silver roof outside and makes for some garish architecture, but otherwise the building itself is unique for its silver dome, and is certainly a distinctive part of Pittsburgh's downtown buildings.
Getting to the Venue
The arena is located in the center of downtown on Chatham Square. When arriving into the downtown area via I-279, signs will direct you off the interstate and through the city streets and right to the arena. A light rail train station is nearby, and parking is ample, with surface lots at the arena and parking garages in the downtown core. Parking at the arena runs $12, but event parking nearby can be found for $5-$8. Meters aren't monitored evenings and weekends, so if you are lucky enough to snag a spot on the street, then parking is free!
Outside the Venue
Chatham Square is on the doorstep of the arena, and the topography here is such that the building itself is built into a hill. When you stand at the door of Mellon Arena and look out, you enjoy a stunning view of the Pittsburgh skyline - tall gleaming skyscrapers with bank and financial service corporate logos dotting the tops. For the most part, downtown is pretty clean and safe, and there are restaurants and clubs to be found within walking distance. But the two best places in Pittsburgh to go for food, nightlife and action are the Strip District, about a mile east of downtown via Liberty Street, or Station Square, on the south shore across the river from downtown.
The Concourses
The concourses are a bit tighter than what we usually see. The arena's lower level features Pen Station, the team's merchandise store and an interactive game area called the Power Play Zone. This sits amidst an overwhelming amount of temporary merchandise and concession stands. Ramps and stairs take spectators to the upper levels of the arena, and one has to climb three flights of stairs to get to the upper balconies high above the goals.
Architecture and Seating Bowl
This venue is totally different than anything we have seen in the NHL. The large domed ceiling is emblazoned with four gigantic ad murals plastered right on the ceiling, one of course being Mellon Bank. The arena was remodeled for club seating, and the center ice lower seats have access to a special club area aptly named the Igloo Club. In each end zone are two large balconies, which were added after the building was opened. The center ice scoreboard is a four sided jumbotron and along the press gondolas are synchronized ad panels. Seats in the end zones which are tucked under the balconies offer an obstructed view of the seating bowl, although the ice surface is *barely* completely visible.
Concessions
This is where Mellon Arena earns major deductions. The food selection, quality and prices here are appalling. Nothing but ballpark dreck... tiny "super" dogs for $3.75, slice of pizza $5, beer, pop, nachos, popcorn and that's it. A major disappointment. To add to this, you go to Pittsburgh's peer sports venues and the food selection there are amazing. Our advice is to plan an early dinner before the hockey game or otherwise sneak in a sandwich.
Interestingly, there are point of sale merchandise kiosks everywhere in the building. The main team store is called "Pen Station", but if that's too crowded, then plan on finding your souvenir item at just about every section. Perhaps the Penguins should consolidate their merchandise stands and install some italian sausage grills.
Premium Seating
"The Igloo Club" is actually to premium lounges straddling the lower sidelines, and ticketholders in the lower sideline seats have access to their own private lounge and bar area. The seating areas are separated from the general seating areas and also have wider padded seats. There are also a number of skybox suites high above the seating bowl.
Banners/Retired Numbers
Several banners of significance hang from the underside of the Mellon. High above center ice is a banner of the Pens only retired number. Michel Briere's #21 was retired after he was tragically killed in a car accident. Banners for the Pens Division and Conference titles hang in one corner while another group of banners of their Stanley Cup Championship seasons stand across from them.
Above each sideline just below the suites is where you will find the Pens "Ring of Honor". Along one sideline is a pictoral mural of Penguin greats while the other has the names of the honorees.
Hat Tricks, Assists, Penalties...
Hat Trick....on our official visit, the karma strikes as the Pens take a commanding series lead on the Washington Capitals and win 4-3 on a late goal by Jeri Slegr. Damn were good!!! Then again....
Penalty... errr assist??? on our return visit, we saw our Sabres battle to 2-2 draw with the Pans. Only the third time we have witnesses a draw in an arena outside our own in Buffalo. Regardless, the karma didn't come through for our Sabres as they blew a two goal lead and in the process a desperately needed point in their playoff push.
Assist... Worth mentioning that game day staff here is pretty friendly without being overbearing. Ushers checked our tickets but once upon arrival, and we were able to maneuver around the building and take photos without any hassles.
Troughs in the Restrooms.....is this a Penalty, Assist , Hat Trick???? Not sure, but it's worth mentioning.
Hat Trick....on our return visit, we made a visit to the Primanti Bros Deli in the popular Strip District. Their sandwiches are still amongst the top the heap for cool ballpark concessions to be found anywhere on the continent.
Assist... in the concourses, a Pittsburgh sports Hall of Fame exhibit with bronze plaques, and along one sideline corridor are large casual photos of current Penguin players.
Assist... Four massive, and we mean massive painted advertisements dominate the domed ceiling in the seating bowl. This whole look is unique among NHL venues, or any hockey rink for that matter.
Hat Trick... Penguins announce major ticket price reductions for the 2004-05 season... if there is a season. Placards were on each seat with the new price.
Summary
The Igloo has some positives, most notably that it has great atmosphere, and a charged fan base that is in place even for a totally meaningless late season game(for the Pens anyway) during a season that was lost prior to the new year. It's a characteristic that many of the newer and showier venues don't have. On the other hand this place is still sorely lacking in what has become standard in most arenas....nicer sightlines, wider concourses, and a wider selection of delicacies (start with Primanti's, Quaker Steak and Lube and Benkovitz Seafood and work from there!) to name a few. But despite the dumpiness of this place, Mellon Arena is a throwback to a different time in the NHL, and for all "ooh ahh" showplaces we have seen in recent years, there is an atmosphere here, something that is an intangible but something that can't be replicated with bricks and mortar. This is a great sports town, and one can "feel" the excitement and enthusiasm of the fans just by stepping onto the arena grounds. A private consortium has pitched the city to build a privately funded arena for the city. If and when that day comes, the loss of this venue as one of the NHL's last old school arenas will, in a way, be a sad one.
