Omni Coliseum The Omni Coliseum , usually called The Omni , from the Latin for " all , " or " every , " was an indoor arena located in Atlanta , Georgia . Completed in 1972 , the arena seated 16 , 378 for basketball and 15 , 278 for ice hockey . It was part of the Omni Complex , now known as the CNN Center . The only remaining reminder is the scoreboard from the Omni that now hangs in the pavilion of the Philips Arena . History . This arena was an architectural marvel when first constructed , combining innovative design for the roof , seating , and the structure itself . The logo is based on the unique seating arrangement . Its exterior of Cor - Ten was supposed to " surface rust " to seal itself , making a solid steel structure that would last for decades . The Omni was noted for its distinctive space frame roof , often joked about as looking like an egg crate or a rusty waffle iron . Designed by the firm of Thompson , Ventulett , Stainback & Associates with structural engineering work by the firm of Prybylowski and Gravino , the roof was technically described as an ortho - quad truss system . Basketball and Hockey . The Omni was home to the NBA Atlanta Hawks from 1972 to 1997 , the NHL Atlanta Flames from 1972 – 1980 ( now the Calgary Flames ) , and the IHL Atlanta Knights ( 1992 - 1996 ) . The Knights were the only pro team to win a championship in the building by winning the Turner Cup in 1994 . The arena also hosted the 1977 NCAA Final Four , won by Marquette University over University of North Carolina , the 1978 NBA All - Star Game , and the 1993 NCAA Women ' s Basketball Final Four . The Flames have since been replaced by the Atlanta Thrashers , who began play in 1999 after the Omni was demolished and Philips Arena was built . Problems . One of the problems with the building was that some of the innovations were not successful . The worst was that the exterior never ceased rusting to seal itself . By the mid 1990s , the rusting exterior had holes big enough that chain link fences were installed in a number of locations to keep people from crawling through the wall to see events . In the late 1980s and early 1990s , a growing number of NBA and NHL teams started constructing new arenas with better amenities for their high - end customers , such as luxury boxes , club - level seating , and massive club concourses , in order to increase their revenue streams . Some of these new arenas had as many as 200 luxury boxes , compared to the Omni which had only had 16 such boxes , and no club level at all , thus putting the Atlanta Hawks at a disadvantage . It also became a disadvantage to the city of Atlanta ; until the Georgia Dome was finished in 1992 , the Omni served as its largest indoor facility in terms of seating capacity . Built on a former railroad yard , after construction , the Omni settled more than its designers expected . There were unanticipated stresses in the space frame roof , which often leaked water . Although the Omni hosted many events , it lost more than its share due to the smaller seating capacity and lack of amenities when compared to newer buildings in other cities . Despite quite enjoyable seating and viewing for the fans , the structure had the outward appearance of looking dated by the early - ' 90s ( although the arena was only 20 years old ) , so there was a collective effort by many parties to build a replacement . This also stemmed from the desire of Ted Turner to own an NHL franchise ; the Atlanta Flames had been sold to Canadian businessmen and relocated to Calgary , Alberta a decade earlier . However , the only way the league would approve an expansion team to him would be with the guarantee of a new arena . In 1997 , the Omni was demolished , and Philips Arena was constructed on the same site . It opened two years later .