Some 3,500 gallons of paint have been applied, 61,700 new seats installed and 100,000 man hours worked.

Falcons fans can see the result Saturday: a new-look Georgia Dome.

The Falcons will hold a simulated game and open house in the Dome, beginning at noon, and fans might do a double-take at how much the place has changed since last season.

Gone: the teal and mauve color scheme that had adorned the building since its opening 16 years ago.

In its place: a red-and-black scheme that mirrors the Falcons' colors, the red painstakingly matched to that in the team's logo.

"It's a complete rebranding," said Dave Cohen, the Falcons' vice president of sales. The new look, he said, is designed to convey the message, "home of the Falcons."

It is not a subtle message.

The exterior of the Dome has been repainted in Falcons colors, and the interior — aside from the green field — has been soaked in Falcons red and black.

All of the familiar teal seats have been removed and replaced with red seats on the upper and lower levels and black seats on the mezzanine level behind the end zones. (And what happens to 61,700 used teal seats, you ask? The seating contractor allowed a credit for them and plans to re-use them in high school, college or minor-league stadiums.)

Complementing the Dome's new seats, thousands of gallons of paint have been applied — black on the walls at the top of the soaring stadium; black on the railings in the aisles; red on, among many other places, the bathroom stalls.

Other changes include concourses with new track lighting, new signage, new concessions kiosks and more than 350 new flat-screeen TVs.

Unexpected work also was required to repair damage from the tornado that hit the Dome during the SEC men's basketball tournament in March.

The Dome renovations are a joint project by the Falcons and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, which runs the state-owned facility. The latest changes represent Phase 2 of the project, which began last year with renovation of the suites and lounge areas, installation of new dark gray cushioned seats in the club sections and addition of LED video boards. A third phase is under discussion for next year.

Some $45 million has been spent so far — $25.5 million on Phase 1 ($24 million by the Falcons and $1.5 million by the Georgia World Congress Center) and $19.5 million on Phase 2 ($6 million by the Falcons and $13.5 million by the GWCC).

Despite the investments, aimed at updating a facility that opened in 1992, Falcons owner Arthur Blank has said the team will need a new stadium when its lease expires. The lease runs until the bonds that financed the Dome's construction are paid off, projected to be sometime between 2016 and 2020.

The latest round of renovations will be on display today when the Falcons host "Roam the Dome," an open-to-the-public event that will include a simulated game, autograph session, stadium tours, and on-field skills games in which fans can participate.

Admission is free, but the Falcons hope to use the occasion to sell season tickets. Available seats will be marked.

In the aftermath of a disastrous 2007, the Falcons saw a sharp drop in season-ticket renewals. The team says it has found new season-ticket buyers for more than 13,000 of the vacated seats and have "a few thousand" more to sell.

"We are hopeful that for most, if not all, of the games, the [TV] blackout will be lifted," Cohen said. Under NFL rules, sellouts are required for home games to be televised locally.

Cohen acknowledges a remodeled stadium alone doesn't sell tickets, but he hopes fans see the Dome renovations as part of a larger theme.

"This year is a brand new start," he said, "with a new coach, a new general manager, a new quarterback we drafted and a new Dome."