Hansen unveils first interior Seattle arena designs ahead of ticket wait list

Investor Chris Hansen has unveiled the first designs for the interior of his proposed $490 million arena. And it promises to be far different than any other sports arena.

The newly released designs show a seating bowl far steeper than other contemporary arenas, with what his design team calls three stacked balconies called “Sonic Rings” circling the top of the arena, which Hansen says will increase the intimacy, noise and intensity of the arena by putting thousands of more fans closer to the action.

In addition to luxury suites around the middle section of the arena bowl, the designs also feature lower level “pocket” suites located less than ten rows off the floor—and even closer to the ice. Hansen says they’re designed to give direct suite access to the suite holders without creating an unsightly gap in the camera view of the lower seating level.

Hansen also confirmed the iconic feature of the exterior is meant to be a “Supersonic Jet Turbine.”

The unveiling of the interior designs is strategically timed to coincide with the the launch of Hansen’s Priority Ticket Waiting List, which goes live Thursday morning.

The list of names is believed to be a key selling point for Hansen when he makes his case to NBA owners early next month in his effort to win approval of his purchase of the Sacramento Kings. A rival team of investors in California is making its own bid to purchase the team from the majority owners and keep it in Sacramento along with building a new arena.