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Peek inside the new Chase Center

Still under construction, the future home of Cher and Celine Dion concerts—and the Golden State Warriors—starts to take shape

By Brock Keeling
Photography by Patricia Chang
7 comments / new

Nearing the end of its construction, the new Chase Center, future home of the Golden State Warriors, will transform the Mission Bay and Dogpatch neighborhoods. It’s poised to be the money-maker that the city shakes for tourist and fan dollars alike. Second, it will turn the area into a major pulse point for San Francisco, for better or for worse, with more traffic and foot congestion.

The new MANICA-designed space, with interiors by Gensler, will do more than host the Bay Area’s championship team (whose move from the East Bay remains a sensitive issue for fans and Oakland residents alike). In addition to basketball, the venue will also function as a major concert hall.

Unlike Oracle Arena, which has hosted sold-out performances from the likes of Madonna and Drake, the Chase Center will be able to configure more intimate arrangements for musical acts and theatrical shows, with marquis entertainers such as Elton John, Cher, Janet Jackson, Celine Dion, and Trevor Noah already lined up to grace the floorboards.

Peek inside the new center for a look at what’s to come.

The north side of the arena. The top balcony Bayside Terrace will also be an event space offering views of the skyline, the Bay Bridge, and the East Bay.
The exterior design of the arena, made up of gleaming white perforated panels, was inspired by the nautical history of the Bay Area and, according to architecture firm MANICA Architecture, “the dynamic and flowing forms of the surrounding water.”
The Gatehouse, a 5,000-square-foot structure along Third Street, will help frame and partially enclose the main plaza, creating an intimate environment for visitors. The building will feature two retail spaces, one at street level on Third Street and one at the main plaza level.
The stadium seating will seat up to 250 guests, who can watch everything from ice skating (during the holiday season) to movie nights inside the plaza.
The arena will come with 18,064 seats spread across three levels, with 32 courtside lounges and 44 luxury suites. The noise will be less ear-piercing compared to Oracle Arena—nicknamed “Roarale Arena” due to the acoustics and the noise level of the crowd.
Portions of arena seating will retract and the ceiling will drop for events and concerts that call for an intimate atmosphere.
Chase Center will come with two entrances. This is the southeastern entrance, which will be used during basketball games and as the primary entrance during concerts and other entertainment events.
Going up.
Luxury suites will also come with private seating for guests.
One of 44 luxury suites that encircle the arena, which will come with televisions (in some cases, an entire wall of TV screens), formal dining areas, and catering from Bon Appetit.
One of several concession stands located throughout the arena. Chase Center will host numerous local dining options, including Bakesale Betty, Tacolicious, Sam’s Chowder House of Half Moon Bay, Hot Dog Bill’s Burger Dog, Tony’s Pizza, and Big Nate’s BBQ. La Cocina and Old Skool Cafe will have specific outlets within Chase Center, along with three additional restaurants and five specialty vendors (Sarap Shop, Omakase Restaurant Group, Chef BOUG, CC Made, Earl’s Brittle, Yvonne’s Southern Sweets, Sugar and Spun, and Five Dot Ranch) to have a presence inside Chase Center.
Three down—one more to go?
Mockup of a luxury suite.
Mockup of a deluxe luxury suite, which comes with its own bar and wall of TVs. Guests will also have access to private seating directly behind courtside seating.
The site will feature two office towers, which Uber will occupy for 20 years, as well as a retail block with 29 restaurants and stores. (Note to architecture geeks: One of SF’s best structures, the WRNS Studio-designed parking garage, pictured here, can be found on South Street.) The Golden State Warriors and Kaiser Permanente recently agreed to rechristen the 11 acres surrounding Chase Center as “Thrive City,” from Third Street to South Street to Terry Francois Boulevard to 16th Street.

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