Architects unveil new sketches, details on proposed arena for NHL Oilers

EDMONTON - Details became clearer Wednesday on what the new home for the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers would look like.

But the question of how much it would cost and who would pay remained as fuzzy as ever.

Architects unveiled for city councillors design sketches and a conceptual video walk-through of the proposed $450-million facility in the city's downtown.

The sketches, leaked to the media weeks earlier, show a futuristic building of wavy lines and curves in zinc, masonry and lots and lots of glass.

The building's shape is meant to resemble an oil drop to honour the name of the team and the province's core industry but practical design functions leave it looking more like a bulbous, backwards letter P.

The rink would be inside the circle of the P. A grand foyer would jut out in a straight line below.

Scott Ralston, an executive with U.S.-based 360 Architecture, said the rink would represent the fluidity of oil, the speed of hockey and the wavy lines of drifting snow.

"The image of the building is really a manifestation of trying to blend all of these inspirations," Ralston said after the presentation at city hall.

"We're trying to convey an iconic landmark building in downtown Edmonton ... that will be a catalyst for future (surrounding) development."

The goal, he said, would be to integrate the rink into the community so it didn't become a shuttered barn that only came alive on hockey nights.

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Architects unveil new sketches, details on proposed arena for NHL Oilers