Application Spotlight: Renovating Hinkle Fieldhouse

Butler University in Indianapolis is home to one of college sports most historic venues. Hinkle Fieldhouse was the largest basketball arena in the country when it was constructed in 1928. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. In 2011, a major renovation was begun. Upgrades included the main entrance, improved seating, a new video board and new locker rooms. In addition to facilities improvements, Butler wanted to celebrate their history with grand-format graphic installations throughout the complex. Firehouse offered up a variety of graphic solutions to integrate with the historic structure.

“Firehouse did an outstanding job on a number of projects associated with the Hinkle Fieldhouse renovation. Given our experience working with them over the years we knew what to expect: they were creative, detail oriented and organized throughout the whole project,” said Mike Freeman, associate athletic director, External Operations.

Firehouse partnered with Butler to produce and install a variety of graphics throughout the Fieldhouse. The main entry corridor has the Butler name and historic photos reproduced on mesh banner and installed within the steel support trusses. Hallway walls were first refinished with a smooth board and then wallpapered with historic team photos. A 100-foot-long mural celebrates the history of the Butler Bulldogs. It is mounted directly to the corridor wall with concrete PSV.

“We could not have picked a better partner than Firehouse for our graphics and imaging for Hinkle Fieldhouse. Firehouse blew our expectations out of the water. We look forward to showing off the work Firehouse completed for many years to come,” said Carl Heck, associate athletic director, Internal Operations.

The $36 million renovation took several years to complete. The goal of upgrading the fan experience was realized without losing or compromising the history. The graphics integrate perfectly with the structure.