TSB Bank Arena

Infobox_Stadium
stadium_name = TSB Bank Arena
nickname =


location = Wellington, New Zealand
coordinates = coord|-41.285631|174.778790
broke_ground =
opened = 1995
closed =
demolished =
owner = Wellington City Council
tenants = Central Pulse, Wellington Saints
operator =
surface =
construction_cost =
architect = [http://www.ccm.co.nz Craig Craig & Moller]
former_names = Queens Wharf Events Centre
seating_capacity = 4,650 (fully seated)
5,600 (general admission) [http://www.eventscentrewellington.co.nz/planning/venues/eventscentre/concerts.html] |The TSB Bank Arena, formerly known as the Queens Wharf Events Centre [http://www.wellingtonconventioncentre.com/planning/venues/eventscentre/] , is an indoor arena located in Wellington, New Zealand. The arena hosts mainly basketball games and is the part-time home arena of the New Zealand Breakers when they play in Wellington, but also hosts expositions and conventions like the [http://www.pulpexpo.com Armageddon Pulp Expo] and the [http://www.standrews.org.nz/dcm//events/bookfair.html DCM Book Fair] . Built in 1995, it originally held 3,635 people. In 2005, the number of seats was upgraded to 4,570 as part of a redevelopment and expansion plan. There are further plans to carry out upgrades to the Events Centre in 2007. [http://www.wellington.govt.nz/projects/benefits/events.html]

It also operates as a music venue, but does not have ideal acoustics and professional sound treatment; for example, the retractable stadium traps all reflections (early and late) also acting as a bass trap (wanted or unwanted), thus impairing a clear sound. But as a live venue, it is still able attract overseas acts, such as from its past, Faith No More, Live, Radiohead, Metallica and more recently Hi-5, Edgefest, Deep Purple, Kings of Leon, Disturbed and Westlife.

In 2005, the annual Montana World of WearableArt ( [http://www.worldofwearableart.com/ WOW] ) Awards Show moved from Nelson to Wellington, to the TSB Bank Arena.

In a feature article from the 11 April 2007 edition of the Dominion Post, the Wellington Architectural Centre rated TSB Arena as Wellington's 2nd worst building. [http://wellurban.blogspot.com/2007/04/shooting-fish-at-bottom-of-barrel.html]

External links

* [http://www.eventscentrewellington.co.nz/ Official Events Centre site]