The Rizal Memorial Coliseum is an indoor arena in the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, Philippines. It can hold up to 6,100 people. History The Rizal Memorial Coliseum within the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex was built on the former site of Manila Carnival Grounds in 1934 as a tennis stadium named "Rizal Memorial Tennis Stadium", but was later renamed “Rizal Memorial Coliseum” at an unknown time. It became a primary venue for the UAAP and the NCAA, before moving to much-larger venues such as the Araneta Coliseum. It was one of the buildings that were destroyed during the Battle of Manila of World War II in 1945 and was reconstructed in 1953 for the 1954 Asian Games. It was also one of the venues of now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) as the home court of the Manila Metrostars during the inaugural season in 1998. 2019 renovation and restoration The venue was used and renovated for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. The renovation was funded from the given by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to the Philippine Sports Commission. Renovation work which will cover both the interior and exterior of the facility began on July 8, 2019, after getting approval from three government agencies, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), and the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP). ME Sicat Construction is the contractor for the renovation project which secured its role through bidding. ME Sicat hired the service of heritage conservationist and architect Gerard Lico for the renovation. Unlike the previous renovations which were minor, for the first time since the rebuilt of the coliseum in 1953, the renovation will be a major overhaul. The renovation process includes near restoration of the building to its state in the 1930s and the installation of new plastic seats and retractable seating system, flooring, plumbing, fireproofing, electrical system and for the first time in coliseum's history, air conditioning system, while keeping the original look of the building designed by Juan Arellano. Lico and his team used the archival materials by the collectors to restore its original design including from Jorge B. Vargas (who was a founding member of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation and the first Filipino member of the International Olympic Committee). Part of its restoration are the repainting of the coliseum's color back into its original which is