Tacoma Dome

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name = Tacoma Dome
nickname =


fullname =
location = 2727 East D Street
Tacoma, WA 98421
broke_ground = July 1, 1981
built =
opened = April 21, 1983
closed =
demolished =
owner = City of Tacoma
operator = City of Tacoma
construction_cost = $44 million
architect =
tenants = Tacoma Stars (MISL) (1983-1992)
Tacoma Express (MLFS) (1990)
Tacoma Rockets (WHL) (1991-1995)
Seattle SuperSonics (NBA) (1994-1995)
Tacoma Sabercats (WCHL) (1997-2002)
seating_capacity = 5,000–23,000

The Tacoma Dome (constructed by Tacoma Dome Associates, led by McGranahan Messenger Architects, a design build entity) is an indoor arena located in Tacoma, Washington, USA, approximately 30 miles South of Seattle.

History

Completed in 1983 for $44 million and opened on April 21, the arena seats 20,000 for basketball. It is the world's largest arena with a wooden dome in terms of total volume and seating capacity (23,000), with a diameter of 161.5 m (530 feet) and a height of 46.3 meters (152 feet) [ [http://www.tacomadome.org/history.aspx Tacoma Dome - History ] ] . The Superior Dome in Marquette, MI is larger in diameter at 163.4 m (536 feet) but is only 43.6 meters (143 feet) high and only seats a maximum of 16,000 [ [http://webb.nmu.edu/SportsRecSports/SiteSections/Facilities/SuperiorDome.shtml Superior Dome | NMU Recreational Sports ] ] . The Superior Dome is also not a geodesic dome, it is a planar radian structure of glue-laminated beams.The first concert in the Tacoma Dome was David Bowie with The Tubes as the opening act.

The arena hosted the Seattle SuperSonics from 1994-1995 while the Seattle Center Coliseum was being renovated into the venue now known as KeyArena. It also hosted the Tacoma Rockets Western Hockey League team from 1991 to 1995, the Tacoma Sabercats of the West Coast Hockey League from 1997 to 2002, The Tacoma Stars indoor soccer team of the MISL from 1984 to 1992, gymnastics events during the 1990 Goodwill Games, numerous other minor league ice hockey and indoor soccer teams, and many concerts as well. It additionally hosts wrestling events, such as WCW Spring Stampede 1999.

Size

Unlike most other arenas of its size, the arena contains little in the way of fixed seating so as to maximize the flexibility of the seating arrangements and of the shape of the playing field. It can even host American football, albeit with seating reduced to only 10,000.

A wide range of high school athletics is played at the Dome, as the stadium features the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association High School Championships in Football, Wrestling, 4A Basketball, as well as 4A and 3A Volleyball. The venue became home to the State High School Championships in Football in 2000 after the regular home, the Kingdome, was demolished.

Art

The Tacoma Dome is also known for its controversial neon art, in 1984 the Stephen Antonakos piece displayed inside the dome was the subject of intense debate over public funding of artworks for public works projects.

Notes & References

External links

* [http://www.tacomadome.org Tacoma Dome]

succession box
title = Home of the
Seattle SuperSonics
years = 1994 – 1995
before = Seattle Center Coliseum
after = KeyArena