Years of debate, scrutiny, and construction have led to this moment. The Edmonton Oilers hockey franchise now has a new home, and with it, the first major piece of the masterplanned Ice District is complete. When it was announced that Edmontonians would get a free look inside Rogers Place on September 10, the reaction was immediate and palpable. Over 57,000 tickets to the exclusive open house were claimed. On Saturday, swarms of hockey fans donning Oilers jerseys were joined by families, architecture geeks, and enthusiasts of all things urban in descending on the National Hockey League's newest arena. Forum contributor chrisvazquez7 was one of them, coming out of the freshly unveiled facility with a plethora of photos and a comprehensive video.

From 8 AM to 4 PM, visitors were treated to a tour of the light-filled space, which is approximately double the size of Rexall Place, the Oilers' home venue from 1974 to the end of the 2015-2016 hockey season. The lower and upper bowls can seat over 18,000 people for hockey games and about 2,000 more can be accommodated for concerts. Country singer Keith Urban will be the first to perform in the new venue. He'll be followed by Dolly Parton and Kanye West in the following weeks.

Sign installation outside Rogers Place, image by Forum contributor chrisvazquez7

Between the bowls are the executive suites, theatre suites, and loge seats. The two-level Loge club features multiple television screens displaying live NHL games, 850 custom-designed seats, and two bar areas serving food and beverages to guests. This stand-out space overlooks the lower bowl and the eastern end of the rink. The private Scotiabank Suites Level is located below the loge seats and includes in-suite dining options.

Open house visitors walk towards the entrance, image by Forum contributor chrisvazquez7

Ford Hall, previously the Wintergarden, serves as a 25,000-square-foot atrium entrance. Before and after games and concerts, the elongated space will serve as a gathering place and host to standalone programmed events. A tile mosaic by Alberta artist Alex Janvier adds a splash of colour to the cutting-edge hall by portraying the vivid Edmonton landscape in a piece entitled Tsą tsą ke k'e — Iron Foot Place.

Inside Ford Hall, image by Forum contributor chrisvazquez7

A strip of concessions, one of many in the arena, greets visitors as a network of upper walkways bisects the light-filled space. Long escalators pierce the main concourse area, underscored by a large mural of 'The Great One' and fan favourite, Wayne Gretzky. The famous 950-pound bronze statue of Number 99 that welcomed guests to Rexall Place is getting a refurbishment before it's relocated to the 104 Avenue sidewalk.

The rink and bowls of Rogers Place, image by Forum contributor chrisvazquez7

If its curving white Star Wars-like aesthetic wasn't futuristic enough, the state-of-the-art venue is highlighted by flashy LED screens that advertise the latest goings-on at the complex. That includes the massive scoreboard, measuring 46 feet wide, 46 feet deep, and 36 feet high, and now the largest high-definition scoreboard in any NHL arena. 360 Architecture (since acquired by HOK), Dialog Architects, Manica Architecture, and ATB Architecture made the city's newest landmark possible.

Inside the Glen Sather Community Arena, image by Forum contributor chrisvazquez7

The new facility joins the Grand Villa Edmonton Casino and the Glen Sather Community Arena, which provides a home for the MacEwan University Griffins and a practice facility for the Oilers and the Western Hockey League's Oil Kings, in becoming the first significant built-out components of the ambitious mixed-use Ice District project. A major reimagining of the downtown core, the development is spurring new residential, commercial, and retail investment in the city centre, which had generally lagged following the opening of the West Edmonton Mall. The home opener will be marked by a battle of Alberta when the Calgary Flames face off with the Oilers on October 12.

Grand Villa Edmonton Casino, image by Forum contributor chrisvazquez7

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