Until 2011, the University of Oregon had the second oldest on-campus arena: the loud, shakey and beloved McArthur Court. Mac Court might still hold that title, but in January of 2011, Matthew Knight Arena officially replaced the then 85-year-old arena when Oregon Men’s Basketball played their first game. Since that day, Oregon’s arena sports have called the $200 million arena their home.
If you’ve been lucky enough to attend a game at Matthew Knight Arena, then you’ve most likely noticed the various art pieces and design elements throughout the concourse and on the court. These pieces come from a mix of work from alumni and renowned artists that represent the fans, teams and the arena’s namesake and son of UO booster Phil Knight, Matthew.
The Floor
The floor of Matthew Knight Arena has been a hot topic since the designs were released. Tinker Hatfield designed the instantly recognizable floor to be just that, recognizable. The alum and former Nike VP of Design wanted to create something that those watching from home would be able to recognize as Matthew Knight Arena. The floor was designed with perhaps the most obvious Pacific Northwest motif in mind: a tree. Tinker’s vision was to mimic the view of being “deep in the woods” (which is written below the Matt Knight logo on the floor) looking to the sky through the trees from the forest floor. Along with being representative of the PNW, the tree also harkens back to the legendary Tall Firs team who won the first ever National Championship in 1939.
There is more going on on the court than trees, however. Named after Pat Kilkenny, the floor has three separate designs to honor the alum and former athletic director. The easiest to decipher is the classic interlocking UO logo, which was the official emblem of the university when Kilkenny was a student, surrounded by three shamrocks to represent Kilkenny’s Irish heritage.
The other two are representative of places Kilkenny has called home: his hometown of Heppner, Oregon and San Diego, California, respectively. One is a silhouette of the Marrow County Courthouse, the other is a San Diego sunset.
The Art
With such an eye-catching court, it’s easy to overlook the art that decorates the concourse, one of them being the large net installation that hangs from the ceiling. This piece is by Janet Echelman, a fiber artist and sculptor. Janet’s eye-catching work is displayed around the country, such as the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, San Francisco Airport, and about the Richmond Olympic Oval.
Positioned above the west entrance is an interactive LED light panel from Janson Bruges Studio. You may have caught the panels changing as fans walk under them. That’s because the green and yellow panels capture the “energy of the fans and the excitement of the game” and displays them accordingly.
Accompanying these two large pieces are a few smaller tributes to Oregon’s arena teams and their fans. The “Anthem to the Fan” plaque hangs just inside the North entrance and reads like an ode to the arena’s namesake Matt Knight whose “spirit is representative of every die-hard Ducks fans.”
In each corner of the concourse is covered with graphics depicting Oregon legends such as Ron Lee and Bev Smith, and the four teams that play in MKA: Acrobatics & Tumbling, Volleyball and Women’s and Men’s Basketball.
And lastly, the shroud wall that runs throughout the concourse integrates images of historical moments in Oregon Athletics along with stanzas of the fight song, “Mighty Oregon.”
The Logo
Special care was taken when designing the logo to represent both Matthew Knight and Duck fans. Noting that the Knight family traveled to Japan during Matt’s childhood, the designer and former Nike Creative Director Todd Van Horne incorporated a torii gate, which symbolizes an entrance to a sacred place, formed from the letters that make up “MATT.” The form of the letters is also reminiscent of Matthew’s toothy smile as a child. Finally, the top of the gate is arched, allowing it to cradle the university’s “O” logo.
With so much excitement that surrounds attending an event at Matthew Knight Arena, it’s easy to miss all these little elements of the arena. So, next time you’re at a game or show, take a look around the concourse and try to find all the art pieces scattered around.