Charles Deaton

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Charles Deaton (1921-December 18, 1996) was an architect who designed the futuristic Sculptured House featured in Sleeper (movie) and first came up with the plan for the modern single use stadium that has been used by professional sports since the 1980s.

Deaton was born in Clayton, New Mexico and his family family lived in a tent on the Oklahoma plains for two years.

Deaton studied structural engineering, industrial design and architecture on his own, and earned certification. He designed the futuristic Sculptured House on Genesee Mountain near Denver, Colorado that was featured in the Woody Allen movie Sleeper. He also designed a similar Key Savings and Loan Association (now Colonial Bank) in Colorado.

In 1967 Kansas City, Missouri was planning to build a new multipurpose arena for its professional baseball and football teams. Deaton caught the ear of Kansas City Chiefs General Manager Jack Steadman and suggested building side by side stadiums for the two sports with each stadium customized to the needs of its individual sport. The entire complex would share communal parking and highway infrastructure. The design was to be implemented by Kivett and Myers as the Truman Sports Complex.

The design was so successful that Kivett through its successors has dominated the constructions of new sports arenas ever since.