Interior of Morehouse College Gymnasium with Olympic Floor Treatment
Unidentified photography, Atlanta, circa 1996
Georgia Amateur Athletic Foundation Collection, Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center
Opened: 1996 | In use
Now called Forbes Arena, this venue at the corner of Joseph E. Lowery and Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard was constructed as an addition to Archer Hall, the longtime gymnasium and basketball arena for the college, in preparation for the Olympic Games. The project was part of the $51 million worth of improvements, new construction, and adaptations the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games dedicated to the Atlanta University Center campuses. These venue investments also prompted the City of Atlanta to invest in streetscape and neighborhood improvements surrounding them in advance of the Games.
African American-owned architectural firm, Moody Nolan, was selected to design the arena. The venue seats more than 6,000 people. After hosting basketball events during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the venue became the site of Morehouse College basketball events as well as national events. The venue was used as the home court for the Atlanta Glory women’s professional basketball team, 1996-1998. The Glory was part of the short-lived American Basketball League, a national women’s professional basketball association born from the success of the ’96 U.S. women’s Olympic team. The ABL and its Atlanta team folded due to competition from the WNBA.
Fun Finds
The original gymnasium, Archer Hall, is still incorporated into this complex. You can see the front façade of the building from Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard.