Don’t call the $192-million Philips Arena project a renovation. Though that’s its official moniker, the terms “rebuild,” “transformation” or “complete gut-job” would be more apt. That’s because contractors, designers and structural engineers, especially, are having to exhibit some fancy footwork and deft maneuvering as they completely tear out the heart of the Atlanta NBA facility—including a huge chunk of its structural system—as they install a completely new interior.

Among sport venues, the Philips redo is “unmatched in a lot of ways,” says Ryan Gedney, senior project designer with HOK. “The sheer scope and timeline is definitely on the upper level [in terms of] transformation. It’s a new venue.”