Berry Events Center

Marquette, MI

The Berry Events Center, located on the campus of Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan is a multi athletic facility. The facility is composed of Spancrete® architectural wall panels, plank, columns, risers and mezzanine floor. The new center seats over 35,000 guests and offers a U.S. Olympic sized skating rink. This rink is the third in America that will be utilized for U.S. Olympic speed skating. Not only does this facility host Olympic speed skating, but also basketball and hockey games as well as theatrical performances.

Precast was used because it offered a durable, fireproof advantage. There was great freedom of design when selecting precast concrete. The project was completed on schedule and this enabled the facility to be utilized faster than traditional methods. Precast also offered designers an excellent way to achieve open, clear spans for the flooring and ceiling.

Some challenges arose in designing the mezzanine floor. The floor dynamics were extremely challenging and needed careful planning and attention in terms of creating the right base and design needed for an Olympic sized skating facility.