The Washington Coliseum (U-Line Arena) ~ Washington, DC

The Washington Coliseum (U-Line Arena) is a historic adaptive reuse project in Washington, DC, transforming the former arena into a vibrant mixed-use development. The project includes approximately 131,000 gsf of arena office space, 60,000 gsf within the Icehouse office building, and 60,000 gsf of integrated retail, along with a separate four-level structured parking garage. TCE provided structural engineering services to support the complex conversion, balancing preservation of the iconic thin-shell structure with the introduction of modern building systems. The design enabled strategic removal and replacement of portions of the historic roof with vertical glazing and green roof elements, creating a dynamic, light-filled environment while maintaining the character of the original structure.

Scope of Services:

• Structural engineering for adaptive reuse of historic thin-shell arena structure
• Design coordination for mixed-use program including office, retail, and parking components
• Evaluation and selective modification of existing long-span roof system
  Integration of new vertical glazing and green roof structures within historic framework
• Structural design of stand-alone cast-in-place concrete parking garage
• Development of solutions to support preservation goals while meeting modern code and performance requirements