Case Study: Northwestern University expands and modernizes Welsh-Ryan Arena with Thornton Tomasetti

Northwestern University expands premium hospitality spaces 400% with Thornton Tomasetti

Northwestern University faced the challenge of renovating its Welsh-Ryan Arena to expand premium hospitality spaces by over 400 percent while reusing the original structure and navigating a tight urban site. The university engaged Thornton Tomasetti to provide structural engineering services for this complex project.

Thornton Tomasetti delivered a solution that included a new lightweight seating bowl with retractable features, successfully reusing the arena's original portal frames. The project was completed in 2018, resulting in a fully renovated 7,000-seat facility with enhanced accessibility, a larger lobby, and state-of-the-art audio and video capabilities for its basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams.

Northwestern University