Preparations beginning for rooftop sign on Fiserv Forum
Preparations have begun for installation of a nearly 200-foot-wide orange lighted sign spelling out fiserv.forum on the roof of the arena — a beacon the Milwaukee Bucks expect to become an image viewed worldwide.
Crews this week are working on outriggers to which the sign’s 11 letters will be attached when a crane starts lifting them onto the roof, probably Monday, said Patrick Basche of Jones Sign Co., the De Pere-based company that made the big sign for the arena.
The two “f ’s” are the tallest letters at 51 feet each — roughly the size of seven Giannis Antetokounmpos standing on top of each other. The other letters are 36 feet tall.
The aluminum letters, which hold about 6,000 orange LED lighting modules in all and are covered with a translucent orange vinyl, are expected to create what will become a hallmark camera shot of Fiserv Forum every time there is a game or big televised event at the arena, said Matt Pazaras, senior vice president of business development and strategy for the Bucks.
People will see the words regularly when they tune in on their TVs or mobile devices to watch games or events like next summer’s Democratic National Convention.
“This thing is going to be a pretty powerful and signature piece of the building,” Pazaras said. “You’re not going to miss it.”
Jones Sign, which installed signage for the Chase Center — new home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors — and many other professional sports venues in the U.S., was hired to put up almost all of the signs for the $524 million Fiserv Forum project, including the big “Bucks” moniker that serves as a spot for photos in the arena’s plaza.
Each of the rooftop letters weighs about 1,200 pounds, Basche said. A crane that will hoist them onto the white roof will be in Milwaukee this week to prepare for the lifts. The letters will be hauled on flatbed trucks from Jones’ 200,000-square-foot plant in the Green Bay area to the arena, Basche said.
“This thing is going to be a pretty powerful and signature piece of the building. You’re not going to miss it.”
Matt Pazaras
Bucks senior vice president of business development and strategy
When installed, the fiserv.forum sign will span 192 feet, essentially lying flat across the roof.
Fiserv Forum, open for almost a year, seats about 17,500. Along with being the home of the Bucks, it is the home court of Marquette University’s men’s basketball team and a top venue for entertainment and conventions.
Fiserv Inc., a Brookfield-based company that provides financial technology to banks, credit unions and others, bought naming rights for an undisclosed amount last summer. The deal is for 25 years. Orange is Fiserv’s corporate color.
Fiserv Forum replaces the BMO Harris Bradley Center, which was razed this spring and summer. The Bradley Center site, next door to Fiserv Forum, is now nearly cleared of rubble.