Crenosphere -- A Dream Come True

If you think your organization just can't afford to build the ultimate sports facility, think again! The Crenosphere Dome is here, and, as far as super stadiums and arenas are concerned, it's a dream come true.

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The Crenosphere is the biggest and one of the newest members of the Monolithic Dome family. MDI President David B. South says, "Crenospheres can be designed and built with diameters ranging from 300 to 1000 feet and heights of 75 to 500 feet. A huge dome like that can accommodate thousands of spectators and any number of activities. A high school or university could hold just about any sport, ceremony, special event, or practice session in a Crenosphere. Various activities can even be held simultaneously if they"re allotted their own areas.

"And all that," South continues, "can take place in an enclosed structure that"s independent of the weather, comfortably heated in the winter, cooled in the summer, and whose ground cover could be a quality artificial turf."

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But for athletic directors and academic administrators convinced that their dream of an enclosed arena was the impossible dream, the best news of all is that, for many of them, the Crenosphere is affordable. South says, "In many cases, a Crenosphere can be constructed at a significantly lower cost " sometimes for half the price of other structure types. Nor would any feature be sacrificed. The playing space, spectator seating, concessions " all the other amenities " would still be included."

Just as importantly, the savings are ongoing. "Like all Monolithic Domes, the Crenosphere has superior insulation with an effective R-60 rating," South explains. "With that kind of insulation, the Crenosphere does not suffer from sudden temperature changes or peaks in its interior. There"s no need for huge, multiple units. Crenospheres can be heated and cooled with a fewer number of smaller units that run for shorter time periods."

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Efficient maintenance and durability add to operational savings. Building materials used in a Crenosphere"s construction, particularly concrete which is its main ingredient, make the structure relatively easy and inexpensive to maintain.

"Those same construction materials give the Crenosphere a life span measured in centuries " not just years," South says. "That kind of durability and strength translates into lower insurance premiums and security."

Because of its sturdiness, a Creno sphere can become an instant disaster shelter. "In the event of any disaster, such as a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake, the Crenosphere can shelter an entire school population or community," South adds.

400 ft. CRENOSPHERE
Crenospheres come in a variety of styles and sizes. Diameters range from 300" to 1000" Here are four versions of 400-foot diameter Crenosphere that can hold a football field:

Field House - Designed for athletics with no audience seating, it includes an artificial grass cover over its entire area, minimal rest rooms and some office space.
Simple Stadium - It has a football field, artificial turf, seating for 5000, rest rooms, locker rooms, simple concession areas and lighting.
Standard Stadium - As an indoor football or soccer stadium, this Crenosphere can comfortably seat 8000 and has extra rooms for weight training, radio announcing and concessions. It is particularly suitable for high schools and colleges.
Deluxe Stadium - With its many plush amenities and its seating for 8000, this stadium includes finished-out concession stands, shopping areas, folding stages and skyboxes.

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Its other advantages include total flexibility, inside and out. South says that within its interior the Crenosphere is "just beautiful open space, uninterrupted by pillars or posts." Its design can be single or multilevel and include mezzanines, hanging press boxes, concessions, dining rooms, spectator seating, lounges, rest rooms, and lockers, as well as accommodations for the physically challenged.

The Crenosphere's exterior can be designed in a variety of shapes and sizes, so that the structure can comfortably house just about any sport: football, indoor soccer, baseball, arena football, hockey, basketball, softball, tennis " even golf.

MDI Architect Rick Crandall gives yet another Crenosphere advantage. He says, "Domes create the best assembly occupancies that can be had. There's no better way to get the maximum number of people in the smallest volume all facing the same direction. There's no better shape than round. With dome technology, we don"t have to accept the limitations of traditional architecture."

Twenty years of research and development went into the Crenosphere"s invention, and the patent awarded to David South that allows its construction took another two years (Roundup, Spring/Summer 1999, p. 19). But according to South, "It was well worth it because what this means is that we"ll be building huge domes as covered stadiums and arenas and doing it at prices more institutions and organizations can afford. Now that's a dream come true."

CRENOSPHERE -- A Dream Come True

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