Sports Facilities

While a church currently holds the record for the largest monolithic dome ever built in the United States, there are even bigger ones on the horizon.

David B. South, who co-invented and patented the process for building these domes, was recently awarded a patent for the "Crenosphere" (Fig. 5.11). This is a huge concrete structure capable of housing large-scale, indoor sports events. Their diameters range from 300 to 1,000 feet (90 to 300 meters) with heights up to 500 feet (150 meters).

Figure5.11 - A 400-foot (122-meter) diameter Crenosphere

football stadium

 

South, who is now president of the Monolithic Dome Institute in Italy, Texas, says one of the Crenosphere's major advantages is its relatively low cost. "In some situations,", he says, "the cost of building a Crenosphere could be half the construction cost of other types of sports facilities with nothing sacrificed in playing space, spectator seating, or amenities.

The Crenosphere also offers significant interior design flexibility because it has a clear span with no support pillars or posts to obstruct views.