The branded Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Bridge

Nets majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov in his remarks at the Barclays Center ribbon-cutting 9/21/12, observed, "Not everyone, in their lifetime, gets to witness a project that changes the face and the destiny of the city. Maybe those who were at the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge, they could say it."

Yes, those who were at the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge could in fact say that.

Could the Barclays Center compare to such a epic achievement? No.

Could the arena change the face of Brooklyn? Surely. The destiny? Well, we'll see.

The Brooklyn Bridge was a triumph of technology, of connection, enabling the development of new parts of Brooklyn and linking Manhattan (then all of New York City) and Brooklyn. The Barclays Center, so far, is many things, but it is one thing the Brooklyn Bridge is not: a triumph of branding.

(Here's a list. Note that, according to the Nets, Prokhorov spoke in the Geico Atrium.)

Photo copyright Jonathan Barkey

Branding on the interior

I took some photos inside:

Not as branded