The third phase of Barclays Center’s five-year, $150M renovation project is kicking off, focused on a new atrium, box office, American Express Card Member Entrance and Lounge, and contemporary art displayed throughout the venue.
The new spaces, including a reimagined 9,000-square-foot event level premium club announced in January, will debut ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season. Like the previous phases, Populous and Shawmut Design and Construction are designing and overseeing the work.
Seventy percent of Barclays Center’s guests arrive via the redesigned main atrium, with an art installation by Sarah Sze suspended from the ceiling giving the space a visual focal point, and a 180-degree LED wall (by SNA Displays) wrapping its interior. Additionally, the arena’s ticketing box office, with fewer people buying tickets at the arena, will be reshaped into a ticket resolution and guest services hub.
The American Express cardholder entrance will sit off of Flatbush Avenue, providing direct access to the main concourse and, via a grand staircase, the suite level. The new entrance will utilize Evolv Express for quicker screening. The lounge includes American Express-inspired artwork, a full private bar with specialty cocktails for purchase, and panoramic views overlooking Flatbush Ave., 5th Ave., and the main atrium.
0 of 11
And Barclays Center is undergoing the first major flip of its control room since opening in 2012. Anthony James Partners assisted with the modernization, which includes a Ross Video Tessera platform upgrade for the arena’s LED content management system, new broadcast cameras, video switcher, router, instant replay, graphics, and intercom. Alpha Video and Unity Systems Integration served as the lead systems integrators.
The new spaces will benefit from “Brooklyn Art Encounters,” Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment’s multi-year initiative to bring more contemporary art into the venue and its surroundings. The first is Art on the Hour, presented in partnership with Barclays Bank, which shows 60-second works by a single artist on the Oculus screen outside the venue at the top of every hour for a whole month. The works of Mark Bradford and Rashid Johnson will decorate the new American Express entry, with a major public sculpture by Brooklyn-born artist Kambui Olujimi to follow on Ticketmaster Plaza in 2027.
Highlights of the Barclays Center renovation, so far
- Toki Row
- JetBlue at The Key
- West End retractable bleachers
- The Modelo Bridge
- Gallagher Terrace
- Garden Bar
- Lighting and sound technology upgrades
- Star dressing rooms
