State Farm Center

For over 50 years, the great white dome of the University of Illinois State Farm Center (formerly known as Assembly Hall) has been symbolic of the young superstars who perform under its unique roof.

The historic arena underwent a complete renovation & facelift completed in 2017 to introduce a full suite of modern amenities for student-athletes and fans alike. With a cost of $170,000,000, it would be the largest renovation to date in University of Illinois history.

The renovation redefined the entry and arrival experiences with new site circulation plans, a grand west-entry lobby and new premium east-entry lobby. It celebrated the building’s original design through sculptural structural elements and the use of circular and elliptical forms. A new, sloped, glass curtain wall surrounds the base of the building—an update to an original Abramovitz design concept that increases transparency and energy efficiency.

A redesigned seating bowl pulls fans closer to the action while integrating new courtside seats, suites, loge seats and four clubs, including one for the Orange Krush student group. New LED video boards, a new audio system, and wifi access points modernize the building. Air conditioning makes State Farm Center usable year-round for the first time. Additional restrooms and concessions further increase fan comfort. Also installed was an extra tunnel leading to the court and state-of-the-art graphics and technology for the Big Ten school.

New contemporary locker rooms, coaches’ locker rooms, a “ready room” for coaching and instruction, lounge space and training room serve both the men’s and women’s basketball programs. Additional service tunnels and storage space maximize operational efficiencies and increase the building’s availability for concerts and special events.