Athletics

The Journey of Lute Olson’s Statue to the U of A Campus

Posted on by flywheel transfer

Lute Olson is a man who needs no introduction to University of Arizona basketball fans. The legendary men’s coach has 46 NCAA tournament wins under his belt, ushered many of his players into the NBA and transformed the Wildcat program into a basketball powerhouse.

After it was announced that a statue in his honor was to be erected, Kappcon was brought on to prepare the location where the statue would sit at the McKale Center.  Once the foundation was ready to support the tremendous weight of the statue, it was time to get Lute in place.

How does one move a statue no one is supposed to see yet? Very carefully.

 

Foreman Victor Pallanes putting the final touches on the statue’s base. Kappcon Superintendent Pete Staroska said, “the most challenging aspect of this job was accurately locating key points to the main floor from the maze like basement underneath without any reference points.”

 

The Unveiling

The Dream Team: Artist Jessica LoPresti of Rotblatt-Amrany, Ralph Banks, Jared Logue and Henry Tom of Line + Space Architects, Kappcon President Nathan Kappler and Omri Amrany of Rotblatt-Amrany

 

The life sized statue was unveiled at a touching ceremony on the Eddie Lynch Pavilion at the McKale Center on April, 2018. In attendance were former and current players, Wildcat fans, and the man of the hour, Lute Olson himself. Kappcon was thrilled to be a part of this special University of Arizona project honoring a true sports legend.

Tucson, Ariz. © Arizona Daily Star

 

See more photos of the ceremony at the Arizona Daily Star.

Project Details

Owner: University of Arizona

Architect: Line + Space Architects

General Contractor: Kappcon Inc.

Artist: Jessica LoPresti of Rotblatt-Amrany Studio

We would like to thank our trade partners Parsons Steel Builders, Sturgeon Electric, Penhall Concrete and Marco Crane for their assistance with this project.