Overview
Stainless steel has been extensively applied to architecture and as structures for both of its aesthetic appeal and outstanding functionality. We’ve explored stainless steel used in interior and exterior facade of the world-famous buildings.
It comes as no surprise if stainless steel materials are used as the building roof. However, what about the roof which is movable? This article will introduce stainless steel applied to the roof by the case of Pittsburgh's Civic Arena.
The Civic Arena in Pittsburgh
The Civic Arena, also nicknamed as “The Igloo” for its domed shape, was a multi-purpose arena located in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. It was constructed on April 25, 1958, and opened on September 17, 1961, after over 3 years of construction. By the time it was built, it boasted the first of its kind with the largest retractable dome worldwide.
The Origin
It was initially constructed for use by the Civic Light Opera (CLO), from the idea of the department store owner Edgar J. Kaufmann. That time the CLO performed in the open-aired Pitt Stadium. A closed venue was required. Funded by Kaufmann, Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh, the project costed a total of $21.7 million to complete.
In October shortly after the opening, Hornet's played their first game and won their first professional hockey championship. In 1967, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the city's National Hockey League (NHL) franchise, came to use the arena. They played their home games there for 43 years until 2010. The Civic Arena was also famous for being home for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Glorious Days
Despite its intended use as the venue for concerts, the Civic Arena became a multi-purpose arena with varied events hosted there, including concerts, exhibitions and shows, varied sports, political and religious rallies, backdrops for Hollywood films. Some famous events are lists as below,
- • In 1961, the Ice Capades performed at its grand opening
- • In 1964, the Beatles performed at the Arena
- • In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson held a campaign rally
- • In 1973 & 1976, Elvis Presley performed twice
- • In 1981, a World Heavyweight Title bout was fought between Larry Holmes and Renaldo Snipes
- • In 1988, Michael Jackson's Bad Tour performed
- • In 1995, the Hollywood movie Sudden Death filmed here
- • In 2008, Senator Barack Obama held a political rally
The Demise
In 1999, the Mellon Financial Group purchased the naming rights, and the Civic Arena was renamed Mellon Arena in the hope for new source of revenue. The naming rights expired in 2010 but Mellon Bank did not renew their contract for naming rights. The name shifted back to the Civic Arena.
Despite its popularity and the numerous renovations to increase seating capacity, the Arena’s booking started to drop, especially when other large-but-not-too-large venues which were more suitable for theaters opened up. Meanwhile, the facilities started to show the sign of aging. For instance, in 2006, the lights failed completely due to an electrical fire during a hockey game.
The last home game of the Penguins at the Arena was held in May 2010. The last paid event at the Arena was hosted on July 26, 2010, when James Taylor and Carol King performed in concert. With the Penguins' move to PPG Paints Arena, the Civic Arena was deemed no longer financially viable. The demolition was commenced in 2011 after several attempts to preserve the arena as both a historic site and downtown venue failed. Demolition ended in March 2012.
The Unique Design
Despite its demise and subsequent retractable dooms appeared in architecture filed worldwide, the Civic Arena was deemed a technological marvel and engineering wonder for its unique design of the world's first retractable, stainless steel dome. It was designed by architects Mitchell & Ritchey with structural engineers Ammann & Whitney.
The dome was constructed with 8 sections, with 2 fixed and 6 movable. It can be rolled back in two & a half minutes, for open air events such as operas. The first roof opening occurred on July 4, 1962, when Carol Burnett exclaimed "Ladies and Gentlemen ... I present the sky!" Even though the roof was designed and engineered as retractable, the operating cost and repairs to the hydraulic jacks halted all full retractions after 1995. The dome stayed permanently closed after 2001.
Stainless Steel Applied to the Roof
Stainless steel was selected as the roof material. This stainless steel dome reflected the sun in a blinding glimmer and its covering could stretch over 170,000 square feet. The construction of the roof assumed more than 3,653 tons of stainless steel, locally manufactured from Pittsburgh which was then known as the "Steel City". The Arena accommodated up to 14,000 people. After numerous improvements, seating increased to a capacity of 16,940 in 2010.
Stainless Steel at CIVMATS
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