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{{Short description|Former indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia, United States}}
{{use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = Omni Coliseum
| nickname = ''The Omni''
| former_names = 
| image = [[File:Omni Coliseum 1979.jpg|center|230px]]
| caption = The Omni in 1979
| location = 100 Techwood Drive<br>[[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] 30303<br>[[United States]]
| coordinates = {{coord|33|45|27|N|84|23|48|W|region:US-GA_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| broke_ground = {{Start date and age|1971|3|30}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Georgia News Briefs|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9ZtOAAAAIBAJ&pg=7215,4162949&dq=en|newspaper=[[Rome News-Tribune]]|date=March 30, 1971|access-date=March 28, 2012}}</ref>
| opened = {{Start date and age|1972|10|14}}
| closed = {{Start date and age|1997|05|11}}
| demolished = {{Start date and age|1997|7|26}}
| owner = [[Atlanta|City of Atlanta]]
| operator = City of Atlanta
| construction_cost = [[United States dollar|$]]17 million<br>(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|17000000|1972}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
| architect = [[tvsdesign|Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates]]
| structural engineer = Prybylowski and Gravino, Inc.<ref name="modern steel">{{Cite web |url=http://www.modernsteel.com/archives/PDFs_61-90/1975A9_15-1.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-05-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514022842/http://modernsteel.com/archives/PDFs_61-90/1975A9_15-1.pdf |archive-date=2012-05-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| services engineer = Lazensky & Borum, Inc.<ref>{{cite journal |title=A Great Space|journal=[[Engineering News-Record]]|publisher=McGraw-Hill Companies|volume=189|issue=2|page=12}}</ref>
| general_contractor = Ira H. Hardin Company<ref name="modern steel"/>
| tenants = [[Atlanta Hawks]] ([[National Basketball Association|NBA]]) (1972–1997)<br>[[Atlanta Flames]] ([[National Hockey League|NHL]]) (1972–1980)<br>[[Atlanta Chiefs]] ([[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)#NASL indoor|NASL Indoor]]) (1979–1981)<br>[[Atlanta Attack]] ([[National Professional Soccer League II|AISA/NPSL]]) (1989–1991)<br>[[Atlanta Knights]] ([[International Hockey League (1945–2001)|IHL]]) (1992–1996)<br>[[Atlanta Fire Ants]] ([[Roller Hockey International|RHI]]) (1994)
| seating_capacity = [[Basketball]]:<br>16,181 (1972–1977),<br>16,400 (1977–1984),<br>16,522 (1984–1987),<br>16,451 (1987–1988),<br>16,371 (1988–1990),<br>16,390 (1990–1991),<br>16,425 (1991–1992),<br>16,441 (1992–1993),<br>16,368 (1993–1994),<br>16,378 (1994–1997)<br>[[Ice hockey|Hockey]]:<br>15,078 (1972–1973),<br>15,141 (1973–1977),<br>15,155 (1977–1983),<br>15,278 (1984–1997)
}}
'''Omni Coliseum''' (often called '''The Omni''') was an [[indoor arena]] in [[Atlanta]], Georgia, United States. Completed in 1972, the arena seated 16,378 for [[basketball]] and 15,278 for [[ice hockey|hockey]]. It was part of the Omni Complex, now known as the [[CNN Center]].

It was the home arena for the [[Atlanta Hawks]] of the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) from 1972 until the arena's closure in 1997,<ref name="spokesmanreview.com">{{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title = Atlanta Barely Notes the Passing of the Omni Arena; Enters Its Final Days During NBA Playoffs | work = The Spokesman-Review | date = April 27, 1997 | url = https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/apr/27/atlanta-barely-notes-the-passing-of-the-omni/ | access-date = January 28, 2023}}</ref><ref name="basketballballparks.com">{{cite web | title = The Omni | work = Basketball Ballparks | url = http://basketball.ballparks.com/NBA/AtlantaHawks/oldindex.htm | access-date = May 13, 2022}}</ref> and the [[Atlanta Flames]] of the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL) from their inception in 1972 until 1980, when the franchise was [[Calgary Flames|sold and relocated to]] [[Calgary]], Alberta. It hosted the [[1977 NCAA Division I basketball tournament|1977 Final Four]], the [[1988 Democratic National Convention]], and the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] indoor volleyball competition.

The Omni was closed and demolished in 1997.<ref name="apnews.com">{{cite news | last = Hill | first = Karen | title = Demolition Experts Place Explosives Around Omni | work = Associated Press | date = July 22, 1997 | url = https://apnews.com/article/db6109eaf311e503e4eef024ac043221 | access-date = October 12, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220514003939/https://apnews.com/article/db6109eaf311e503e4eef024ac043221 | archive-date = May 14, 2022 | url-status = dead}}</ref><ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{cite news | agency = News Services | title = Crowd Has a Blast at Omni | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = July 26, 1997 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1997/07/27/crowd-has-a-blast-at-omni/06d2e433-3f46-4c1c-952a-3ec86075e229/ | access-date = April 8, 2024}}</ref><ref name="basketballballparks.com"/> Its successor, Philips Arena (now [[State Farm Arena]]), was constructed on the Omni's site and opened in 1999.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news | last = Sandomir | first = Richard | title = Philips to Pay $180 Million to Name New Atlanta Arena | work = The New York Times | date = February 3, 1999 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/03/business/philips-to-pay-180-million-to-name-new-atlanta-arena.html | access-date = April 9, 2024}}</ref><ref name="orlandosentinel.com">{{cite news | title = Headliners | work = Orlando Sentinel | date = February 20, 1999 | url = https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1999/02/20/headliners-496/ | access-date = April 9, 2024}}</ref><ref name="latimes.com">{{cite news | title = Rider Fails to Show Up Again | work = Los Angeles Times | date = November 4, 1999 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-nov-04-sp-29891-story.html | access-date = April 9, 2024}}</ref>

==Construction==
{{more citations needed section|date=November 2025}}
In 1968, real estate developer [[Tom Cousins]], and former [[Governor of Georgia]], [[Carl Sanders]] bought the NBA's [[St. Louis Hawks]], and relocated them to Atlanta, where Cousins made plans to build a new sports arena over an unused railroad gulch in the downtown area. The $17 million indoor arena with a total [[Seating capacity|capacity]] of 16,500 would be named "The Omni", where its [[Omni (disambiguation)|name]] comes from the [[Latin]] prefix meaning "all" or "every". Construction on the Omni began in April 1971, and was completed in October 1972.<ref name="atlantamagazine.com">{{cite news | last = Greene | first = Josh | title = Atlanta Hawks at 50: The Team's History Through the Lens of Scott Cunningham | work = Atlanta Magazine | date = October 18, 2018 | url = https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/atlanta-hawks-at-50-the-teams-history-through-the-lens-of-scott-cunningham/ | access-date = April 19, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Frey | first = Titan | title = Why the St. Louis Hawks Moved Their NBA Franchise to Atlanta | work = Fadeaway World | date = February 14, 2023 | url = https://fadeawayworld.net/why-the-st-louis-hawks-moved-their-nba-franchise-to-atlanta | access-date = April 19, 2024}}</ref><ref name="axiosatlanta.com">{{cite news | last1 = Wheatly | first1 = Thomas | last2 = Dixon | first2 = Kristal | title = Atlanta's Omni Coliseum Gave the Hawks a Home | work = Axios Atlanta | date = July 6, 2023 | url = https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2023/07/06/omni-coliseum-hawks-dnc | access-date = April 19, 2024}}</ref>

===Structure===
The arena was considered an architectural marvel that combined innovative roof, seating, and structural designs. The logo is based on the unique seating arrangement.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}

The exterior cladding was composed of Cor-Ten [[weathering steel]], which is covered in rust; the idea was that the steel would continue to rust to the point where the rusted exterior would form a protective seal, making a solid steel structure that would last for decades.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}

The Omni was noted for its distinctive [[space frame]] [[roof]], often joked about as looking like an egg crate or a rusty waffle iron.<ref name="spokesmanreview.com"/><ref name="basketballballparks.com"/> Designed by the firm of [[tvsdesign]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-07-21 |title=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution remembers the Omni - TVS Architecture & Interior Design |url=https://www.tvsdesign.com/the-atlanta-journal-constitution-remembers-the-omni/ |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=www.tvsdesign.com |language=en-US}}</ref> with structural engineering work by the firm of Prybylowski and Gravino, the roof was technically described as an ortho-quad truss system.

===Scoreboard===
The only surviving component of the Omni is its scoreboard, which now hangs in the pavilion of the State Farm Arena. American Sign & Indicator (which became [[Trans-Lux]]) built the basketball-specific scoreboard in the early 1980s to replace the original hockey-specific scoreboard that [[Daktronics]] maintained during the 1990s. The arena also had four message boards in each end zone, two of which were animation boards.

==Events==
{{more citations needed section|date=November 2025}}
===Professional wrestling===
The Omni was a hotbed for [[professional wrestling]]. Since its opening, it was considered the home base for the NWA's [[Georgia Championship Wrestling]], [[Jim Crockett Promotions]], and [[World Championship Wrestling]]. Many major and historic wrestling events took place at the Omni, including [[Starrcade]] (1985, 1986, 1989 and 1992), the first [[WarGames match]] during the Great American Bash tour (1987), and the first [[Slamboree 1993: A Legends' Reunion|Slamboree]] in 1993. The [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]] also held many events at the Omni including house shows and closed circuit broadcasts until their last card at the venue on November 2, 1992. WCW also aired ''[[Monday Nitro]]'' on January 1, 1996, and March 3, 1997, at the Omni.

===Boxing===
In July 1986 challenger [[Evander Holyfield]] beat WBA Light Heavyweight Champion [[Dwight Muhammad Qawi]] by split decision  (144–140, 147–138, 141–143). The fight is widely regarded as one of the best fights in the history of boxing.

===Basketball and hockey===
The Omni was home to the NBA's [[Atlanta Hawks]] from [[1972–73 NBA season|1972]] to [[1996–97 NBA season|1997]].<ref name="spokesmanreview.com"/><ref name="washingtonpost.com"/><ref name="basketballballparks.com"/> The Hawks played their first game at the Omni on October 15, 1972, defeating the [[New York Knicks]], 109–101.<ref>{{cite news | title = Knicks Defeated by Hawks, 109-101 | work = The New York Times | date = October 16, 1972 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1972/10/16/archives/knicks-defeated-by-hawks-109101-new-york-is-ahead-by-6-at-half-but.html | access-date = April 19, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Eskenazi | first = Gerald | title = About Pro Hockey | work = The New York Times | date = October 17, 1972 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1972/10/17/archives/first-week-too-many-on-the-ice.html | access-date = April 19, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks Box Score, October 15, 1972 | publisher = Basketball-Reference | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197210150ATL.html | access-date = April 19, 2024}}</ref> Their final game at the Omni was a Game 4 loss to [[Michael Jordan]], and the [[Chicago Bulls]] in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals during the [[1997 NBA playoffs]], 89–80 on May 11, 1997.<ref name="washingtonpost.com2">{{cite news | last = Newberry | first = Paul | title = Bulls 89, Hawks 80 | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = May 11, 1997 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/nba/longterm/1997/playoffs/chiatl4.htm | access-date = January 28, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Roberts | first = Selena | title = Bulls' Laugher Suddenly Turns Serious | work = The New York Times | date = May 12, 1997 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/12/sports/bulls-laugher-suddenly-turns-serious.html | access-date = May 13, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = 1997 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 4: Chicago Bulls at Atlanta Hawks Box Score, May 11, 1997 | publisher = Basketball-Reference | url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199705110ATL.html | access-date = April 9, 2024}}</ref>

The Omni was also home to the NHL's [[Atlanta Flames]] (now the [[Calgary Flames]]) from [[1971–72 NHL season|1972]] until [[1979–80 NHL season|1980]], and the [[Atlanta Knights]] of the [[International Hockey League (1945–2001)|IHL]] (1992–1996). In 1994, the Knights became the only pro team to win a championship in the building, when they won the [[Turner Cup]].

In 1977, the arena hosted the [[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship|NCAA Final Four]], won by [[Marquette University]] over [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|North Carolina]]. This was Warriors' coach [[Al McGuire]]'s last game. It also hosted one [[Southeastern Conference|SEC]] and three [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]] men's basketball tournaments, the [[1978 NBA All-Star Game]], the [[1993 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|1993 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four]],<ref name="washingtonpost.com"/> and the [[Volleyball at the 1996 Summer Olympics|indoor volleyball]] matches for the [[1996 Summer Olympics]].<ref name="basketballballparks.com"/>

===Indoor soccer===
The Omni was the indoor home of the [[Atlanta Chiefs]] of the [[North American Soccer League (1968–84)#NASL indoor|North American Soccer League]], as well as the Atlanta Attack of the American Indoor Soccer Association.

===Concerts===
The Omni was Atlanta's primary concert venue from 1972 to 1997. [[Phish]] played their Halloween show on 10-31-1996 and performed a musical costume in the 2nd set, they played the Talking Heads album Remain in Light in its entirety. This show was later released as [[Live Phish Volume 15]]. The [[Grateful Dead]] played The Omni 24 times between 1973 and 1995, more than any other musical act.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.setlist.fm/search?query=omni+atlanta |website=setlist.fm |access-date=February 28, 2021|title=Search for setlists: Omni atlanta &#124; setlist.fm }}</ref>
[[The Jackson 5|The Jacksons]] performed for the [[Destiny World Tour]] in 1979 and for the [[Triumph Tour]] in 1981. [[Madonna]] brought both her [[The Virgin Tour|Virgin Tour]] in 1985 and her [[Who's That Girl World Tour]] in 1987 to the Omni Coliseum. [[Michael Jackson]] performed for the [[Bad (tour)|Bad Tour]] in 1988. [[Elvis Presley]] played 12 sell out shows between June 1973 and December 1976.<ref name="spokesmanreview.com"/><ref name="washingtonpost.com"/> Judas Priest has also played this venue on a few occasions. 

[[Def Leppard]] recorded footage from the October 7–9, 1988 shows at the Omni for their [[In the Round, in Your Face]] video. [[Paul McCartney and Wings]] played at the Omni on May 18, 1976, and May 19, 1976, during their [[Wings Over the World tour]]. [[Paul McCartney]] returned to the Omni with his band for concerts on February 18, 1990, and February 19, 1990. [[George Harrison]] played two concerts on November 24, 1974, on his only North American [[George Harrison and Ravi Shankar's 1974 North American tour|solo tour]]. Pink Floyd played at the Omni in November 1987 on their [[A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour]].

===Other events===
Among the major non-sports events at the Omni was the [[1988 Democratic National Convention]], where delegates nominated [[Michael Dukakis]] and [[Lloyd Bentsen]] for [[President of the United States|President]] and [[Vice President of the United States]], respectively.<ref>{{cite news | last = Oates | first = Marylouise | title = Atlanta Turns Hot Spot as Democrats Come to Town | work = Los Angeles Times | date = July 11, 1988 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-07-11-vw-4145-story.html | access-date = April 10, 2024}}</ref><ref name="washingtonpost.com"/><ref name="basketballballparks.com"/>

==Problems and replacement==
{{more citations needed section|date=November 2025}}
[[File:Omnicoliseum.gif|frame|right|Bird's-eye view of the Omni Coliseum]]

The Omni did not last nearly as long as many other arenas built during the same time period, in part because a number of its innovations did not work as intended. Most seriously, its designers failed to reckon with Atlanta's humid subtropical climate, which specifically caused problems with the [[weathering steel|Cor-Ten]] exterior walls; the weathering steel never actually created the seal that had been envisioned and instead corroded to the point where holes large enough for a person to climb through began showing up along the perimeter of the building. In addition, the space frame roof of the building would often leak water as the designers did not anticipate the building settling into its foundation as quickly as it did.<ref name="spokesmanreview.com"/><ref name="basketballballparks.com"/>

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a growing number of NBA and NHL teams began to construct arenas with better amenities for their high-end customers to increase revenue. These amenities included [[luxury boxes]], club seating, and massive club concourses. Some of these new arenas had as many as 200 luxury boxes. By comparison, the Omni had only 16 luxury boxes and no club level. It also became a disadvantage during Atlanta's explosive population growth.

Although the Omni hosted many events, it lost more than its share due to the smaller capacity and lack of amenities compared to newer buildings in other cities. By the start of the 1990s, an effort began to build a replacement. A new arena would have likely been needed in any event due to the Omni's structural problems. This also stemmed from [[Ted Turner]]'s desire to own an NHL franchise; the Flames had been sold to Canadian businessmen and relocated to [[Calgary|Calgary, Alberta]] a decade earlier. The NHL determined the Omni was not suitable even as a temporary facility, and would only grant Atlanta an expansion team if Turner guaranteed a brand-new arena would be in place by the time the new team took the ice.

Despite the arena's close proximity to the CNN Center, [[Georgia World Congress Center]], and the [[GWCC/CNN Center station|Omni MARTA station]], the Omni was imploded on July 26, 1997. Philips Arena (now [[State Farm Arena]]) was constructed in its place, and opened on September 18, 1999.<ref name="nytimes.com"/><ref name="orlandosentinel.com"/><ref name="latimes.com"/> The demolition of the Omni forced the Hawks to split their home games for the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons between the [[McCamish Pavilion|Alexander Memorial Coliseum]] at [[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets|Georgia Tech]] (their first home in Atlanta), and the [[Georgia Dome]].<ref name="spokesmanreview.com"/><ref name="apnews.com"/><ref name="washingtonpost.com"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}

*[http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1996/1996v1.pdf 1996 Summer Olympics official report.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528011846/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1996/1996v1.pdf |date=May 28, 2008 }} Volume 1. p.&nbsp;543.
*[http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1996/1996v3.pdf 1996 Summer Olympics official report.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927222634/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1996/1996v3.pdf |date=September 27, 2007 }} Volume 3. p.&nbsp;465.

{{s-start-collapsible|header={{s-sta|et}}}}
{{succession box
 | title = Home of the<br>[[Atlanta Hawks]]
 | years =[[1972–73 NBA season|1972]] – [[1996–97 NBA season|1997]]
 | before = [[Alexander Memorial Coliseum]]
 | after = [[Georgia Dome]] &<br>[[Alexander Memorial Coliseum]]
}}
{{succession box
 | title = Home of the<br>[[Atlanta Flames]]
 | years =[[1971–72 NHL season|1972]] – [[1979–80 NHL season|1980]]
 | before = first arena
 | after = [[Stampede Corral]]
}}
{{succession box
| title = [[NCAA]] [[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship|Men's Division I]] <br />[[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship|Basketball Tournament]]<br>Finals Venue
| years = 1977
| before = [[The Spectrum (arena)|The Spectrum]]
| after = [[St. Louis Arena|The Checkerdome]]
}}
{{succession box
 | title = Host of the<br>[[NBA All-Star Game]]
 | years = 1978
 | before = [[U.S. Cellular Arena|MECCA Arena]]
 | after = [[Silverdome|Pontiac Silverdome]]
}}
{{end}}

{{Atlanta sports venues}}
{{Democratic National Convention venues}}
{{1996 Summer Olympic venues}}
{{Olympic venues volleyball}}
{{Atlanta Flames}}
{{Atlanta Hawks}}
{{Atlanta Chiefs}}
{{Former NBA arenas}}
{{Former NHL arenas}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1972 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Venues of the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:1997 disestablishments in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Atlanta Flames]]
[[Category:Atlanta Chiefs sports facilities|o]]
[[Category:Basketball venues in Atlanta]]
[[Category:Defunct indoor arenas in the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct ice hockey venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct indoor soccer venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Former NBA venues]]
[[Category:Defunct National Hockey League venues]]
[[Category:Defunct sports venues in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Atlanta]]
[[Category:Demolished music venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Demolished sports venues in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Ice hockey venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Olympic volleyball venues]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1972]]
[[Category:Sports venues demolished in 1997]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Atlanta]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor venues]]
[[Category:Volleyball venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures demolished by controlled implosion]]
[[Category:Atlanta Hawks]]
[[Category:Indoor arenas in Georgia (U.S. state)]]