Inside The New Golden 1 Center Arena

Speaking to reporters from the shiny new floor of the downtown arena, Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé shared his vision for the new venue as an "iconic" meeting place designed for the modern city.

"Cities have become a place for people to live, to work, to play. And really this arena is the 20th century cathedral, it's the communal fireplace, the place where people used to gather in old times," says Ranadivé.

It's certainly a high-tech gathering place.

Ranadivé says the goal of the design was to use technology to create a "frictionless" experience for visitors who might otherwise opt to watch a Kings game on the couch in front of their TV. We'll see how that vision pans out once the arena opens its doors to thousands of Paul McCartney fans next week.

Inside the venue, concert goers and sports fans will find glowing vintage neon signs from local businesses including Shakey's Pizza.

And in one atrium there's a hanging sculpture called "Multitudes Converge" by Sacramento artist Bryan Valenzuela. The work is made from 400 molded glass spheres. It's inspired by the city's location at the meeting of the American and Sacramento Rivers.

Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio