When the Los Angeles Kings reached out to Allan Louie, founder of Blast Media Print, about building the team’s Hall of Fame and Wall of Fame at Crypto.com Arena, the opportunity was huge. Translating nearly six decades of hockey history—spanning from the franchise’s founding in 1967 all the way through modern championship eras—into a physical, high-impact concourse experience required balancing fine architectural craftsmanship with deep sports culture.
Here is an inside look at how Louie and the team took the project from early concept sketches to game-night reality.
The Vision: Moving Beyond the Standard Locker Room
During the early ideation phase, Blast Media Print explored multiple concepts, including a traditional hockey locker room setup. However, honoring decades of iconic players and historic moments called for something more elevated.
The team ultimately opted for a luxury jewel case display concept. This approach treated historical jerseys, masks, sticks, trophies, and banners as premium artifacts, giving them the reverence of museum pieces while maintaining the high-energy arena atmosphere.
To match the Kings' visual identity, the materials were selected to feel bold and enduring:
-
Dark Marble & Black Granite: Providing a refined, timeless base.
-
Blackened Steel & Metal Podiums: Delivering industrial strength that speaks to the game of hockey.
-
Precision Lighting: Rather than harsh, cold white LEDs (6000K), the team chose warm, inviting 4000K lighting installed both above and below the artifacts to highlight intricate textures without creating distracting concourse glare.
Engineering the Details
Bringing a permanent installation into an active, world-class entertainment venue like Crypto.com Arena is no simple task.
Once the initial concepts were approved, Blast Media developed comprehensive 3D renderings to align every stakeholder on the exact footprint, aesthetics, and sightlines. From there, the designs were engineered into detailed line drawings, blueprints, and electrical layouts. Every millimeter had to pass rigorous safety evaluations and fire marshal standards to ensure fan safety in high-traffic corridors.
The Midnight Buildout
Because Crypto.com Arena hosts back-to-back games, concerts, and events, the buildout was an intense logistical sprint.
The installation required eight separate overnight shifts, with the crew working under tight curfews to ensure the concourse was completely clear and operational before doors opened each morning. Navigating arena schedules, coordinating heavy glass panels, and wiring complex backlighting systems behind the scenes turned the hallway into a high-stakes workshop until the final trim was set.
Game Night: Connecting Generations of Kings Fans
The real payoff came during the first and second intermissions on game night.
As thousands of fans poured into the concourse, crowds gathered around the glass. Longtime fans wearing vintage purple-and-gold and classic 90s Gretzky sweaters pointed out memorabilia to younger fans, swapping memories of historic Stanley Cup runs and legendary games.
For Allan, this emotional resonance is at the heart of experiential marketing and environmental design. A team’s history isn't meant to sit hidden away in archives—it belongs right in front of the community that built it.
