Pengrowth Saddledome

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Pengrowth Saddledome
Location	555 Saddledome Rise SE Calgary, Alberta T2G 2W1
Opened	1983
Owner
Construction cost	$100,000,000 CAD
Architect	Graham McCourt Architects
Former names
Olympic Saddledome (1983-1996) Canadian Airlines Saddledome (1996-2000)
Tenants
Calgary Flames (NHL) (1983-present) Calgary Hitmen (WHL) (1995-present) Calgary Roughnecks (NLL) (2001-present)
Seats
Hockey: 19,289

The Pengrowth Saddledome is the main indoor arena facility in Calgary, Canada and is situated on the east end of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede grounds. It is also known simply as the Saddledome or even the 'Dome.

Contents 1 Architecture 2 History 3 See also 4 External links

[edit] Architecture

• Architect: Graham McCourt Architects
• Engineer: Jan Bobrowski and Partners
• Contractor: CANA Construction
• Cost: $100,000,000 CAD

The distinctive saddle-shaped roof is an inverted hyperbolic paraboloid. It was a design borrowed from the US Airways Arena located near Washington DC (and now defunct). However, the roof's saddle motif tied in well with Calgary's Western heritage. Constructed using pre-cast concrete panels suspended by post-tension cables, the roof has an unobstructed 122 meter span covering 12,000 m², but is only 60 centimeters thick.

As a practical matter, such a design causes there to be many more rows of seating near "center ice" than behind the goals.

Depending on the event configuration, the facility seats up to 20,100 spectators, and includes 72 luxury suites, 2 super suites, and 6 restaurants and bars.

[edit] History

When it opened on October 15, 1983, it was known as the Olympic Saddledome as it would host the indoor ice events for the 1988 Winter Olympics. This was the first major arena in North America capable of hosting ice hockey matches on the international standard size ice sheet. The building was renamed the Canadian Airlines Saddledome when the Calgary-based airline became the building's sponsor in July 1996. This was controversial among many Calgarians who opposed the facility losing the "Olympic" name, and who were also opposed to the decision to cover the Dome's massive roof with the Canadian Airlines logo. In 2000, another company, Pengrowth Management Ltd., took over sponsorship of the complex when Canadian Airlines was acquired by Air Canada and the facility was renamed the Pengrowth Saddledome. Unlike Canadian, Pengrowth chose not to put its logo on the roof of the facility.

Ice hockey, rodeo events, dog shows, basketball, monster truck events, circus events, music concerts, tapings of Wheel of Fortune, World Wrestling Entertainment and the 2006 ISU World Figure Skating Championships have all been held at the Saddledome in its 20+ year history.

It hosted the 16th WWF In Your House pay-per-view in 1997.

The Saddledome hosts the championship game of the Mac's World Invitational AAA Midget Hockey Championship every year on January 1.

The Saddledome is home to the NHL's Calgary Flames. During home games, the Flames can host 19,289 fans in the arena.

[edit] See also

• Tensile architecture
• Hyperboloid structure
• Tensile and membrane structures

[edit] External links

• Official Saddledome Site
• Construction Details

Preceded by Calgary Corral 1980–1983

Home of the Calgary Flames 1983–present

Succeeded by current

Coordinates: 51°2′15″N, 114°3′7″W

Current arenas in the National Hockey League
Western Conference		Eastern Conference
American Airlines Center | Gaylord Entertainment Center | GM Place | HP Pavilion | Honda Center | Jobing.com Arena | Joe Louis Arena | Nationwide Arena | Pengrowth Saddledome | Pepsi Center | Rexall Place | Scottrade Center | Staples Center | United Center | Xcel Energy Center		Air Canada Centre | BankAtlantic Center | Bell Centre | Continental Airlines Arena | HSBC Arena | Madison Square Garden | Mellon Arena | Nassau Coliseum | Philips Arena | RBC Center | St. Pete Times Forum | Scotiabank Place | TD Banknorth Garden | Verizon Center | Wachovia Center

Current arenas in the Western Hockey League
Eastern Conference		Western Conference
Art Hauser Centre | Brandt Centre | Centennial Civic Centre | Cranbrook Recreational Complex | Credit Union Centre | ENMAX Centre | ENMAX Centrium | Keystone Centre | Medicine Hat Arena | Moose Jaw Civic Centre | Pengrowth Saddledome | Rexall Place		CN Centre | Everett Events Center | Interior Savings Centre | KeyArena | Memorial Coliseum | Pacific Coliseum | Prospera Centre | Prospera Place | Rose Garden Arena | Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena | Toyota Center

Current arenas in the National Lacrosse League
Eastern Division		Western Division
Air Canada Centre | Blue Cross Arena | HSBC Arena | Madison Square Garden1 | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum2 | Sears Centre | Wachovia Center | Xcel Energy Center		HP Pavilion | Jobing.com Arena | Pengrowth Saddledome | Pepsi Center | Rexall Place | Rose Garden Arena
1The New York Titans play four of their home games at Madison Square Garden. 2The New York Titans play four of their home games at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.