Iowa State University Johnny’s at Hilton Coliseum Expansion and Renovation

Johnny's, a sports bar-themed premium club amenity within Iowa State University's Hilton Coliseum, faced the challenge of limited space and visibility, diminishing its appeal and capacity to serve donors for athletic programs, most notably basketball. With an original footprint of 3,750 square feet, there was an urgent need to increase its size and prominence within the coliseum without disrupting the original architectural language and materiality.

The club's expansion elegantly transforms its limitations into strengths, befitting its namesake—Johnny Orr, one of Iowa State University’s most popular and successful coaches.

Stretching westward to encompass what was once concourse circulation, Johnny's has grown to 6,250 square feet, nearly doubling its capacity. The new entry point, now directly off the seating area instead of the outer concourse, markedly elevates the club's visibility and enriches the visitor experience with unobstructed views of the basketball court. This seamless extension of space retains the architectural character of the original club, even incorporating a bronze statue of Johnny Orr as its new focal point. The redesigned space also includes expanded food service areas and two new bars, making Johnny's not just bigger, but substantially better.