A Look at the Big Picture

This is not a look at whether the Nets pursue Dwight Howard or Kevin Garnett, keep Deron Williams or Gerald Wallace. Not about Brook Lopez or the Draft either. It's about a large image we found of Barclays Center (the latest, we are assured) and what it shows.

There are indeed a lot of renderings of the arena. The most recent can be found here. One Nets insider jokes that with all the changes, Barclays Center is the "most rendered arena in history." If you search hard enough, you can even find some of the original Frank Gehry design. This one, though, is the most accurate. Before you begin, get yourself acclimated a little better, take a look at the seating chart. Then click on the large image and then click again to expand it to 100%. Then, let us take you on a tour.

First take a look at the far end of the arena. On the floor level is entry way the Brooklyn Nets will use to enter the arena...no side entrance, directly onto the court. What's barely visible, under the rows of seats on the left of the entrance is the Courtside Club, where the Nets say: "Located directly outside the Nets locker room ... You can cheer on the home team as they enter onto and exit off the court." It's available for those in Hollywood seats, sideline seats rows A-E, as well as the End Zone rows AA-E. Nearby the Courtside Club (but not visible) is The Vault, "inspired by Jay-Z" to "reward customers with a higher level of sophistication and exclusivity in mind." The 11 suites cost $550,000 a year, with a three-year commitment. Among the amenities, the Armand de Brignac Champagne Bar, sponsored by Jay-Z's favorite champagne.

Just above that is what looks like a ledge where a few people congregate. That's street level, more than 20' above the arena floor. It's also the Legends Lounge, described this way by the Nets: "Located directly above Sections 15-17 and only available to ticket holders in those Sections, the Legends Lounge gives you access to the Legends Lounge bar and light snacks." There are a lot of other clubs scattered around the arena, like the red-themed Suite Level Lounge above Legends Lounge.

There will also be two identical lounges for other sections, the North-South Lounges, on opposite sides of the arena.

The architect's vantage point is opposite the Legends Lounge, from the landing that leads from the arena's main entrance lobby into the arena. Here's what it looks like from inside the entrance lobby. Note the scoreboard at eye level. The Daktronics board and other video screens will be installed in July. Also, on the left side of the entrance lobby, you can catch a glimpse of the Nets practice court (which surprisingly has not yet been the subject of any publicly released renderings).

Circling the arena are the 104 suites, some double-decked. The one in middle on the left hand side is Mikhail Prokhorov's. Others, no doubt, will be less well-appointed, but with still decent views and amenities.

The image also shows the low ceiling --"to keep the noise in", says Bruce Ratner-- and the "black box" lighting that architect Gregg Pasquarelli says he wanted to give the game a more dramatic, theatrical feel. Also, it appears that writers will be kept a courtside, rather than tossed up into the rafters as the Knicks did with their MSG renovation. (Is that Fred Kerber, with the grey hair sitting at the end of press row?)

One thing we did particularly like about the rendering. Everyone is dressed for summer. So it must be June..and the Eastern Conference Finals.