Built in 1936 to host celebrations of the Texas centennial, Will Rogers Coliseum has been heavily used for the past 90 years. It has hosted rodeos, horse shows, concerts, Team USA hockey, TCU basketball, Golden Gloves boxing, trade shows, professional wrestling, and religious revivals. Years of deferred maintenance and abuse had taken its toll and a major upgrade to the facility was necessary to keep the building from falling into disrepair. All major building systems were upgraded, including the addition of a fire sprinkler system and fire alarm. Structural improvements were made to allow for future expansion of and addition of club level seating. Finally, improvements were made to reactivate exterior spaces all while aiming to maintain the historic character of the building. The Will Rogers Auditorium, Will Rogers Coliseum, and Pioneer Tower are the remaining original buildings, and all are included on the National Register of Historic Places.

1 AIA Learning Unit (pending approval)

Free for AIA members

Non-members: $10

Tour led by: Josh Mauldin and Kaleb Boyette, Grace Design Studios

Attire: Closed-toe shoes

Learning Objectives:

• Explore design challenges in the integration of modern building systems with historic structures.

• Identify design strategies to accommodate a widely varied range of uses in public facilities.

• Investigate organizational strategies in the project used to improve the overall user experience while respecting the historical building.

• Discuss the repurposing of support spaces to enhance the public interface and activate new opportunities for public engagement