Blake Arena

Hopkins, MN

Our fifth project for the Blake School is a renovation of their historic, barrel vault ice rink. Originally built in 1960, the rink has immense character and strong ties to the legacy of hockey in Minnesota. While the iconic barrel was in fine condition, much of the rest of the rink was in need of both aesthetic and physical updating. Our design challenge was therefore to retain the character of the barrel vault while seamlessly integrating new elements into both the public and team sides of the rink.

The goal of the project was to highlight the legacy of Blake Hockey while creating an inspired and welcoming atmosphere for the Blake community and its visitors. The program includes a new entry sequence, with wayfinding graphics and trophy cases, new locker rooms for the visiting teams, new bleachers with increased seating capacity and renovated Blake team rooms. The new materials inside, plywood and douglas fir, play off the warm tones of the original wood barrel, while the new materials outside, silver metal panels and white cement board, take their cues from the Minnesota winters.