TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER Page I • HISTORICA L BACKGROUND ••• • ••• • •••••• I I • I I I • Per iod ... ..... .... . ... .. .... . .... .. . .. .. . .. I Pe riod •••••••••• • •• •• • •••• •••• • ••••••••••••••• 2 Ba ro que, and Col onia l Period •••••••••••••••• 3 Industrial Peri od •••.•••• • •••••• • ••••• .•• ••••••••••••• 5 PRESE NT-DAY STADIUMS •••• ••••••••••••••••• • •••••••• •• •••••• 6 Pa I azzo de I Io Sport. ....................... . .......... 7 National and Annex in Tokyo , •••••••••• 7 Harris County Domed Stadium •••••••••••• • •••••••••••••• 10 PROPOSED FACILITIES••••• • •• •••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 15 S t a t erne n t of the P rob I em. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • I 5 Ge neral Stat ement of Intent ••• •••••••••• •••••••••••••• 18 Pre I lm I na r y PI ann i ng Cons i de rat ions ................... 18 Stadium Area Requirements • •• • •••• ••••••• •••••••••••••• 20 f i eke t 0 f f i ce s. . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . • . . . • • . . • • • 20 Stadium Offices ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• • ••• •• •• 20 Restaurants and D ining Facilities ••••••••••••••••• 21 Commun i ce t ion Center •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 21 Con cess i ons••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 22 Pub I i c Con veni ences ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• :. 22 Players' Dressing Rooms and Dugouts ••••••••••••••• 22 Rernps, Escalators and Elevators ••••••••••••••••••• 23 Seating Areas ••••••• •••••••••• • •••• • •••• ••• ••••••• 24 - iii -
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER Page
I • HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ••• • ••• • ••••••
I I •
I I I •
Precle~ss l c Per iod... ..... .... . ... .. .... . .... .. . .. .. . .. I Cl~ss i c Period •••••••••• • •• •• • •••• •••• • ••••••••••••••• 2 Medevl~ l, Baroque, and Col onia l Period •••••••••••••••• 3 Industrial Peri od •••.•••• • •••••• • ••••• . • • ••••••••••••• 5
Pa I azzo de I I o Sport. ....................... . .......... 7 National Gymn~sium and Annex in Tokyo, J~p~n •••••••••• 7 Harris County Domed Stadium •••••••••••• • •••••••••••••• 10
S t a t erne n t of the P rob I em. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • I 5 General Stat ement of Intent ••• •••••••••• •••••••••••••• 18 Pre I lm I na r y PI ann i ng Cons i de rat ions................... 18 Stadium Area Requirements • •• • •••• ••••••• •••••••••••••• 20
f i eke t 0 f f i ce s . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . • . . . • • . . • • • 20 Stadium Offices ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• • ••• • • •• 20 Restaurants and D ining Facilities ••••••••••••••••• 21 Commun i ce t ion Center •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 2 1 Concess i ons••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 22 Pub I i c Conveni ences ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• :. 22 Players' Dressing Rooms and Dugouts ••••••••••••••• 22 Rernps, Escalators and Elevators ••••••••••••••••••• 23 Seating Areas ••••••• •••••••••• • •••• • •••• ••• ••••••• 24
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CHAPTER
I I I •
IV.
v.
lv
Spec i a r Areas •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 24 Meehan ice. I Spaces •• •••••• •• •••••••••••••••••••••••• 24
I. American League Attendance Informat ion ••••••••••••••••• 30
2 . Nat ional League Attendance Information •••••••••••••••• 31
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PREFACE
"An age of speciali zat ion levies its tolls. Not the least of these is the insistance that special ism remain specialized . Thus, the word •recreation' has come to have a I imi ted meaning for most of us. 'Rec reationa l faci I ities' at once conjures up swimming pools and gymnsia
1and playground and , perhaps, stadia
and indoor sports places."
Realizing that today ' s average American now spends a considerable
2 amount of time and money in " •••• stadia and indoor places" , a
program of providing suitable facilities to house the major
sporting e vents now faces the Dallas area and re gion. The solution
of the problem must contain not only a playing field for conducting
the events, but the stadium must also be easily accessible by the
majority of people in the region and must afford the spectator
a comfortable atmosphere in which to watch the contest. For, as
1 Wayne R. Wi II iams, Recreation Places, (New York, 1958!, p. II.
2 . I . II W1 l1ams, p. •
viii
the number of spectators continually grows, so do the demands for
newer and better faci I ities from which they might view their
favor ite sporting event . This not only includes a comfortable seat
but also a quick and easy method to get from the ir homes t o their
seats.
It is therefore the intention of this thesis to investigate
alI phases of a spor ts stadium which wi I I house as its two ma jor
events, football and base ba l l , and to reach a solution which wi II
prov ide a conditioned environment that wi I I " •••• ma ke an exciting
experience out of going t o a sports event or even passing them or
3 seeing them fran afar."
3 James T. Burns, Jr., 11Big Tops by Tange at Tokyo Olympics", Progressi ve Architecture , <December, 19641 p . 180.
01APTER I
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Almost as early as history there are records of men participat-
ing in various types of canpetitive spor ts. It would therefore
be logical to assume that there were spectator s to observe the
action .
Preclassic Period
"Egyptian rei iefs show a large variety of sports and pastimes."1
Because there were no organized games, the sport.smen of this time
were invariably from the wealthy upper c la ss. The peasants indulged
in such activities as wrest I ing and other tests of ski I I or strength
t o the enjoyment of their family and friends. Most events were
war-oriented with the end result of making good warriors.
1wi II iams, Recreation Plac~, !New Yor k, 1958!, p . 14.
2
The spectators of the sports of this period were usua l ly
smaller groups . Little thought was given to stadia because few
contests were of si ze to m~rit a stad ium audience.
Classic Period
The classic period of Greece and Rome saw a fantastic growth 1n
spectator sports and exhibiti ons. This era marked the beginning
o f structures bui I t speci f ical ly for spectator sports.
Children were al lowed to play and were t rai ned i n running,
jump ing, sword play, swimming, and riding. As the children grew
older they participated in great sport s festivals, t he winners of
which were honored and revered as national heroes.
Grea t cmphitheaters and stadia were bui I t i n order to hold
the " •••• gladiator contests, strugg les of wild beast~, sham sea
2 battles, Chris t ians a nd lion s and other spectacles". The s tructures
were bui It mostly in the cities of the Roman Empire. The most
famous and fami I iar of these is the Flavian Amphitheatre or Rome
Co losseum wh i ch was completed in 80 A.D. It is an impos ing
2 . . 7 W 1 I I 1 ams, p. I •
3
structure ( i I lustration next pagel which even today ri va ls many
of the newest and most modern sports s tad i a . The fundamental
c oncept s of the Rome Col osseum are s o log ical t hat very lit t le
improvement on this original des ign has come about in today's
s t adia . The improvement -that has been made has been in providing
more and more com~or t for the spec tat or with the addition of padded
sea ts and air cond iti on ing.
I t was during t hi~ period that the concept of the s pectator
act ually began to evolve . With the immense amphithea tre seating
as man y as 50 , 000 peop le, as in the case of the Rome Col osseum,
both th e uppe r and lower c lasses were ab le t o enj oy their favorite
spor tin g ~vent s and fest i va ls .
Medevia l, Baroque and Colonia l Peri ods
These three periods saw a lui I i n the sport s extravaganza
whi ch had been s uch a vital part of the earlier Cla ss i c Pe r iod .
Thi s wa s a time of s upress ion. When not at work, peop le s pent
mos t of the ir time in rel axa tion with thei r f ami I ies. The
r ecr ea t i ona I spaces were I awn s or courtyards with a sma I I number
of people parti ci pa t ing in even ts of a less rigorous nature than
617ft. x 512ft. (oval) 164ft. (highest wall) 249,677 sq. ft. 287ft. X 180ft. 42,580 sq. ft. 50,000
5
those of the Classic Period.
The most popular events during these times were the ~ock
battles and jousting tournaments of the Medieval Period. Fencing
reached its . peak during the Baroque, and cock figh ts were popular
in the Colonial era .
Industrial Period
The casual recreational habits of the Colonial Period remained
and were carried over int o the Industrial Period . However, it
was during this time that a type of spectator spor ts began .
3 "In 1832, 100, 000 people turned out to watch a foot race."
AI I types of spectator sporting events became popular including
basebal I, our national pastime. It was during this period that
the sports spectator again took his placd as a part of everyday
li fe.
3 . . W1 I I lams , p~ 29.
CHAPTER I I
PRESENT- DAY STAD IA
As may be clearly seen by looking back into the histor y of
sporting event s , I ittle was done architecturally to pr omote or
enhance the pos ition of t he spectator , excep t, of course , during
the Classic Period . It wa s not until the early twentieth cen tury
tha t archi t ects began to consider the spectator and his comfort.
But even then it seemed that the theory was st i I I to c ram as many
people into the smal lest possible space . Fina ll y during the late
9~0 ' s and ear ly 1960's stad iym architecture began to evolve from
just a mere s tructure fo r seating peop le t o wa t ch a sportings
event to an architectura l structure which offered the spectator
an environment in which he might better enjoy his favorite sport .
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7
Palazzo delIa Sport
Perhaps the one factor which has given architects a greater
incentive to create a better stadium architecture has been the
International Oylmpic Games. The first good ex'cNnple of this was
the Palazzo del lo Sport designed by Pier Luig i Nervi for the 1961
Olympic Games . Nervi supplied a covered space to seat 16,000
people. 1 l l lwstrations next pages! Circulation was easy and
each spec tator had a clear unobstructed view. "It was primari ly
designed for under-cover spor ti ng events, and can eas i I y be
adapted to accommodate boxing, fencing, wrest I ing , tennis, ne t-
ball, weight lifting, etc . Owing to its excellent acoustics, it
has recently been used for large public performances such as plays
4 and operas. "
Nationa l Gymnasium and Annex in Tokyo, Japan
Another fine example of the architecture precipitated by
the Olympics is the National Gymnasium and National Gymnasium
Annex in Tokyo, Japan done by Kenzo Tange for the 1964 Olympic
4Pier Lui gi Nervi, Bui ldings, Projects, St r uc tures 1953-1963,
trans. Guiseppe Nicolletti, !Germany, 1963!, p. 66.
The "Palazzo dello Sport'' IS the largest of the sports arenas constru by Pier Luigi Nerv1 for the 1961 Olympic Games. It was primarily designe
under cover SJ:•O • n;1 avents. and can easily be adapted. as required '" o .... ~mg. tencmg, wrestling, tennis , netball, we1ght-l1ftuig, etc. Ow1 ng ts excellent acoustiCS, it has recently been used for large public perfor
':lances At the request of the Committee, the seats are arranged 1n banks Twelve large external staircases lead to a peripheral gallery, which a series of inter-nal stairs give access to the upper bank of s Total caoac1tv of the hall · 16,000 soectators.
10
Games. Unlike Nervi, who used poured-in-place and precast concrete,
Tange developed for both bui I dings a cable-suspension roof that
creates an interior and exterior space in which the spec t ator
a I ways seems to be the major cons ide ration. A I though Tange
himself considers the site too smal I and the parking area inadequate,
" •••• the gymnasia are strong enough to overcome t hese drawbacks
and make an exciting experie nce out of going to sports events or
even just passing them or seeing them from afar. 115 (I l lustra t ions .
next pages)
Harris County Domed Stad ium
Another influence on stadium design has been t he growth of
interest and the resulting increased number of spec ta tors at
footba I I and baseba I I games. It was the integration of these two
activities into one stadium that has caused the recent construct ion
of several stadiums across t he country which also have attempted to
combine the two activities into a compatible solu t i on.
Without a doubt, the stadium of this type which has caused
most controversy is the Harris County Domed Stadium designed by
5 Burns, p. 184.
14
Lloyd & Morgan and Wilson, Morris, Crain & Anderson, and completed
in 1965. (See Illustration.} Although the exter ior of t he
"Astrodome", as it has been nicknamed, might recei ve much cr i t i cism,
the space created inside i s unsurpassed for specta t or comfort.
Pro~lems have arisen concerning the natural I ighting and t he
problems in growing adequate grass for the playing field. Eve n
though these problems were anticipated, their prospective so lutions
were found to be inadequate after the stadium was comple t ed. At
present art ificial lighting and synthetic grass are being
experimented with.
CHAPTER I I I
PROPOSED FACILITIES
Statement of the Problem
The Da llas area is faced with the ever - increasing problem
of providing suitable facili t ie s fo r its major s por ting events,
fo o tba II and baseba II .
The footba l I activities include the home footbal I games of
Southern Methodist University in the Southwest Conference and the
Dal las Cowboys of t he National Footbal I League , the annual
Texas -Ok lahoma foo tbal I game, and the annual New Year ' s Day
Cotton Bow l Classic. All of t hese eventsa.r.e he ld in the Cotton
Bowl Stadium located in the center of the State Fairgrounds
in Da l las . The seating capacity of the stadium has been more than
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16
su ffi cien t; however, its i n ternal and external c ircula t ion !bo t h
pedest rian and veh icular) has constantly become a wor sening
prob lem becaus e of t he overly crowded and congested area in
whi ch it is located.
The professional basebal I faci I ities, although improved in
t he last two years , cons i s t of a stadium having a max imum capacity
of some 12 , 000, and it i s located in Tarrant County. The stadium is
eas il y accessible by t he Dallas-Fort Wort h Turnpike and seems to
work wei I, but because of its present s ize and locati on in ano ther
c au n ty i t wou I d prove unsatisfacto ry for the needs of the Da I I as
County area if a nd when t he area acqui r es a major league franchise ;
and there seems to be a strong poss ibility of th i s franchi se
materializing in the near future.
Not on ly are both ex i s ting facilit ie s proving to be inadequate
for the needs of Dallas Coun t y, but the treme ndou s popu la ti on
gr owth in the area 1s compo undin g the pr oblem. The metrop o lit a n
Dal las area now has 1,1 50, 000 people; by the year 1985 the Dallas
reg ion, which would compr ise f our adjoining counties includi ng
Fort Worth, wi I I support 3 , 500, 000 people. As the overa ll popu-
I at ion cont i nues t o grow, I ikewi se wi II the spectat or popu lat i on
17
grow. As the growth in the numbers of spectators continues so
wi II their demands for more modern and adequate facilities grow .
It wi I I therefore be the problem of this thes is to solve the
present and future demands of the Dallas County area as stated
above by providing an adequate facility for housing major sports
events . A more complete solution wi II be descr ibed in detai I
later in this text, but the basic solution wil l constitute combin-
ing the requirements for the two major events, football and base-
ba II , into one structu r e .
I t is also the hope of this designer that this proposed
stadium cou ld later be used as the major element in a more
comp lete sports complex. This might be brought about with_ the
eventua l addit i on of one or more structures accommodating such
activities as basketball, ice hockey, swimming , etc .
With the development as stated above , the total complex would
a I low the area to host some future Olympic Games wi thoet ~ greet ctleal
of modifica ti ons . Sti II another use of the stadium facilities
would be that of a mammoth convention center to house, for examp le,
nati onal presidential nomination conventions.
18
General Statement of Intent
With the completion of the Houston Astrodome came the beginning
of a new era in stadium design and a new concept in specta t or comfort.
"Going to a ball game" has now becane more than just sitting
on an exposed wooden bench, watching the players and being eit her
uncomfortably hot or cold. One now may have a complete evening's
entertainment if he chooses, from dinner, to t he game itself, to
an after-the-game cocktai I, all in one building. Also, each
spectator has a comfortable cushioned seat wi th a clear view of
the field in an air conditioned atmosphere. Ingress and egress
is eas ie r and more enjoyable with large low-p itched ramps, reversible
escalators, and elevators.
It is this new idea of spectator comfort combined wit h · a
sound structural system integrating the two major sports into one
building which wi II be the basis governing t he design of t he
proposed Dallas County Stadium as stated in this thesis.
Pre I iminary Planning Cons i de ration
The design program for a multi-use stadium depends on
severa I factors:
1. The number of specta t ors t o be seated fo r each event .
2 . The areas in which to concentrate the spectators with
opti mum view ing cond i tions .
3. A speci fie method for the parking and dispersa l of the
vo lume of au t omobi les which wi II enter t he site.
4 . A solu ti on for ingress and egress by the spec t ators .
5. A structura l system to house a necessari ly large space
and sti II maintain a clear viewing condition for all
spectators.
19
6. A mechanical system which wi l I afford comfort to spectators
and players a l ike .
7. A playing field which wi" l l meet the space area requirements
of the events to be housed in the structur e .
8. A workable solution for a ll auxi I iary spaces, such as
rest rooms , refreshments , dressing rooms, etc .
9 . The f l exib il ity of the stadium al lowing for other events
such as a circus, rodeos , boxing matches, bullfights, etc.
10. The availabi l ity of ut i lit ies .
II . Site development to enhance the structure and to give some
fee l ing of sca le .
20
St-adium Area Requ i rem en t s
Ticket Offices
For the convenience of the patrons there should be several
ticket offices. The offices or booths should be located in central
spots around the perimeter of the stadium in close proximity to
the many entrances. They should be easily accessi b le to the
spectator as he walks from his automobile to t he stadium.
Although the idea of locating ticket booths at the automob i le
entrances to the site has been attempted, it doe s no t seem to be
completely satisfactory because of the traf f ic con ges t ion arising
from the time involved in selecting and paying fo r a t icket and
then waiting for change.
Additional ticket offices within the stadium would be used
f or the purchase of tickets for future games. They would also
serve as information centers for answer ing quest ions concerning
coming events, t he stadium, and any other quer ies which an
interested patron mi ght have.
Stadium Offices
Because of ·the comp I ex i ty of such a stadium, permanent offices
would be furnished. These would include c ler ica l offices,
21
administration offices; offices for the professional teans that
play in t he stadium, and an en gineer ' s planning office . Con -
ferences and meeting rooms would a lso be required for administra-
tive purposes , team meetings, and if desired, outside organ izat ional
meetings .
Restaurants and Dining Faci I ities
The food faci I ities may be divided into the following catagories :
I. Informal cafeteria type dining for the larger number of
spectators.
2 . Formal dining facil ies .
3 . Cocktai I lounge with adjoining dining faci I ities .
The kitchen arrangeme nt for these faci l ities should be centra l ized
to avoid dup l ication of equipment . A vertical system would seem
most logica l because of the stratif ication of seats and also to
minimize the amount of chase and mechanica l spaces to these areas.
Commun i cat i on Center
Because of the nationwide coverage of some sporting events,
considerat i on shou ld be given to the spaces needed by the radio,
television and newspaper media . Specific boxes or booths should
be designated and equipped with such mechanical or electrical outlets
as would be nece ssary .
22
Concessions
The concessions areas in a stadium of this type are for the
spectator 's convenience, but are also a major economic element in
a successfu I operation . They shou ld be located so that the spectator
would be able to get to them easily, with _a minimum amount of effort.
Again the service to the concession areas from centra l stor age
areas shou ld be vertica l to avoid unnecessary costs and confusioN.
Pub I ic Conveniences
Public conveniences such as rest rooms, telephone boo ths, and
drinking fountains should be located adjacent to the concession
areas to afford the spectator easy accessibility . Care should also
be taken 1n locating enough restrooms on alI ~vels and, whenever
possible, in a common stack arrangement. Ash trays and trash
receptacles should also be provided at converient places throughout
the sta dium.
Players' Dressing Rooms and Dugouts
Dressing rooms and dugouts become an integral part of any
stadium. Special consideration should be g iven to the s pace s
al loted i n dressing rooms for dressing, shower in g, rub-downs, etc.
23
The dressing rooms and dugouts should be connected by an underground
passage or corridor .
Because of the multi - use function of the proposed stadium it
wou ld be wei I to provide four dressing rooms instead of the customary
two rooms .
Ramps, Escalators and Elevators
For the most part, wide low- pitched ramps wi I I be used for
ingress and egress to various levels of the stadium. Reversible
type escalators wi I I s erve as a supplementary element to alleviate
the congestion before and after the event s . Elevators wi I I be
used most ly as service elements and used on ly by spectator s in
case o f emergency.
Seat ing Areas
Seating areas wi II be concentrated to afford the most favorab le
viewing cond iti ons along the playing fields . A combinati on of
permanent - type portable sea t ing has been found t o be the most
compa ti b le so lution to serve both th e football and baseball fie lds .
Grou ps of seats wil I be color-coded to correspond with the
s pectato r ' s t icke t, making it easier for him to loca t e his seat .
24
Special Areas
Special areas wi II be provided includ ing a security office and
a completely equipped clinic. These spaces no t on ly wi I I contribute
to a more canplete s tadium but wi II also aid in the overa l l feeling
of comfort by the indi vidual spec tator.
Mechanica l Spaces
Because of the tremendous task involved in cond it ioning a
space as emmence as a football f ield, large mechanical ~aces wi II
be required for housing equipment necessafy. Besides the mechanica l
equipment spaces, a rea wil I be needed for special plumping equipment,
such as sewage storage tanks and large hot water heaters.
CHAPTER IV
SOLUT ION
Site : Location and Development
Because of the regional appeal of the proposed stadium, the
location chosen fo r the Oal las County Stad i um is a mid-point
between Da l las and Fort Worth on the west side of Dallas County . It
is a 300 acre plot contai n ing over 13, 000, 000 squar e feet , and is
directly nor t h of the Dal las - For t Worth Turnpi ke along the West
Fork of the Trinity Rive r , east o f Be lt Line Road , 3 miles sou th
of U. S. Highway 183, and I mile north of U. S. Highway 80. This
particular site was chosen because of its easy accessibility by
the majority of the popu lation in this region and also because
o f the peop le ' s familiarity with t his area since it is ad jacent
t o the Great Southwestern Indus t rial Comp lex and Six F lags of
Texas Amusemen t Park . 1 n addition to the major highway arteries,
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26
Greater Fort Worth lnternati onal Airport is only a short drive
from the site and would allow for easy accessibility for any air
traffic to and from the stadium.
Because of the close relationship of the site to the Trinity
River, certain improvements wi I I have to be made both on and off
the site to make it immune to flooding conditions . With the use
of matching funds provided by tne federal government a system
of dams, pumps, end levies wi I I afford a safe condition. Although
the actua I design of the dams wi II be separate, their location and
the installation fran which the water is controlled wi II be planned
in advance . Not only wi I I this water control system free the stadium
site from high water, but also wi II improve the land to the west
and east of the site for later development .
This water control system wi II also provide a logical reason
for having a large on-site reservoir-a- reflecting pools which will
add to the aesthetic quality of the stadium. This water may also
be used in parts of the mechanical system.
Circulatory Spaces and Relationships
Because of the tremendous number of spectators that wi I I
attend the events he ld at the stadi~m,the design of the vehicular
27
and pedestr i an elements wi I I be kept as simple as possible.
This wi I I decrease the norma l confusion before and after "the
game" .
Vehicular
A t otal of approx ima tely 25,000 parking spaces will be provided
on the site using 2 . 5 persons per car as a criteria for the number
of spaces provided. The parking areas and drives wil I encircle
the s tructure to provide easy access to the stadium from alI
directions. Large sections o f the parking area wi II be designated
for reserved parking in accordance with the spectator's reser ved
ticket , a llowing h im to park in the prox im ity of his seat inside
the stadium. Landscaped walkways wi II also be provided to ma ke his
walk from his car to his seat more enjoyable.
In addition to the on- site parking areas, smaller lots capable
of containing from 150 t o 200 cars w i II be located at central
points throughout the region. Bus service t o the stadium wi II be
provided from t hese lots . The busses wi I I not be provided by the
s t ad ium but wi II be furnished on a contract basis by the major
transi t companies in the area. These companies wi I I then be
28
responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the busses. A
special area wi II be set aside at the stadium site for parking
400 to 500 busses.
Because many of the events are held on Saturdays, Sundays end
at night s , it wi II be poss ibl e to make use of the large perking
bui !dings in the dow ntown areas of Dallas end Fort Worth, the majority
of wh i ch are vacant a t these times. A rapid overhead trans i t
would then tran spor t the peopl·e from the downtown areas to the
stadium itself. Th is over-head transit would be financed with
funds other than those allocated for the s tadium itselfJ there-
fore, the actual layou t and design of such a system woul d be a
problem outside the scope of this thesis. Terminal point s for
the t ransit , however, wou ld be provided on the stadium site. Such
an over-heed transit system would also be used as a permanent
transportation element between Dallas and Fort Worth.
Pedestrian
Exterior walking distances should be kept to a minimum. The
most direct approach wl I I be · provided from the parking space along
I andscaped walkway s , passing the ticket booths, directly to the
s pectator 's seat.
29
The P len
Although e circular plan has been used for the more recent
stadia wh i ch have combined besebel I end footbel 1, this des igner
found after extensive investigation end s tudy that en el l i ptice:1
plan would afford a larger amount of prime seating.
Investigation into the maximum end average attendance et both
major league baseball end professiona l footba l l games, end a
correlation between these figures end the present end expected
population of the Dallas region helps to determine the maximum
number of seats required for both events in order to provide a
.. sound economical enterprise. ( Illus trations next pege. l
Although the Cotton Bowl cen seat over 70,000 peop le,
it only has e maximum attendance once or twice e year . The
officia ls of the area ere of the opinion · that e sne ll e r stadium
which was more often fi I led would be a more log ica l si tuetion.
With these two thoughts in mind the number of seats for t he
events were calculated .
Footba II •• • ••.••••••••••••••••••••••• 60,000 seats
19M Night Game Attendance . 875,287 477,200 746,336 376,916 398,740 596,487 600,894 Number of Night Games 61 •li) 32 39' 50 34 35 35 Night Game Attendance .. 571,325 476,882 1>97,077 273,233 399,725 681,095 486,747 Number of Night Games .. 57 34 41 41 27 38 29
19M SEASON SINGLE GAME DOUBLEHEADER NIGHT GAME 47,987 (vs. N.Y., Aug. 1.5)* 47,987. (vs. N.Y., Aug. 15, 19M)*41>,796 (vs. N.Y., May 16, 1954) 47,987 (vs. N.Y., Aug. 15, 19M) 31,049 (vs. N.Y., June 9)* 36,350 lvs. N.Y., Aug. 7, 19561 41 ,761> {vs. N.Y., Aug. 12, 1934) 36,228 vs. N.Y., June 28, 1949)
OPENING DA 46,364
41 ,1> 16 (vs. Bait., Aug. 2 1 )* 53,940 vs. N.Y., June 8, 1951 * 54,215,vs. N.Y., July 19, 1953) 53,940 vs. N.Y., June 8, 1951) 37, 128 (vs. N.Y., July 12)** 78,382 lvs. Chi., Aug. 20, 1948)* 84,587 vs. N.Y., Sept. 12, 1954) 78,382 vs. Chi., Aug. 20, 1948) 51 ,0441vs. N.Y., July 24)*.# 57,888 vs. Cleve., Sept. 26, 194S: 58,31>9 ~vs. N.Y., July 20, 1947) 56,586 vs. Cleve., Aug. 9, 1948)
CITY 28,11>5 vs. C lev., April 21 )* 34,01>5 (vs. N.Y., Aug. 27, 1961) 35, 147 vs. N.Y., Aug. 18, 191>2) 33,471 vs. N.Y., April29, 1955) ANGELES. 39,81>6 vs. N.Y., July 29)* 53,591 \vs. N.Y., July 13, 1962}* 17,015 vs. Bait., July 24, 1962} 53,591 vs. N.Y., July 13, 191>2!
A 36,288lvs. N.Y., Aug. 'l 42,034 vs. N.Y., July 17, 1963) * 36,160 (vs. L.A., June II>, 1963} 42,034 (vs. N.Y., July 17, 1963 YORK 58,102 vs. Bait., Aug. 9 # 74,747 vs. Bos., May 26, 19471* 81 ,841 (vs. Bos., May 30, 1938} 74,747/vs. Bos., May 21>, 1947} INGTON 40,359 vs. Minn., June 14)#43,022 (vs. Bait., April 8, 1963) 48,147 (vs. N.Y., Aug. I, 1962) 30,701 vs. Cleve., June 17, 1947} Game **Scheduled Dblhdr. #Doubleheader *#Twi· Nite Dblhdr.
Chicago ........... .46,572 vs. Brooklyn-5-18-47 - """ 46,965 va. Pittsburlh-5-31-48 1,485,166 in 1918 Cincinnati ....... :.35,747 vs. Pittsburgh-4-15-H 32,916 n. ~29-36 36,961 va. Pittsb\U"Ih-4-27-47 1,125,928 in 1956
Houston ............ 25,271 vs. Chicago-4-10-62 28,669 VI. L.A.--8-12-62 30,02'1 va. L.A.-6-1o-62 92t,456 in 1962 Los Angelel ... -78,672 vs.San Francisco-4-18-58 72,140 va.ClncinDatlr8-16-61(TN)53,856 vs. Cincinnati- 7-7-63 2,755,184 in 1962
Milwaukee ..... -48,642 vs. Phlladelphia9-27-59 46,944 vs. New York-8-27-54 47,604 vs. Cincinnati-9-3-56 2,215,404 in 1957 New Yor1t-. ... 48,736 vs. Pittsburgh-4-1'1-64 55,062 vs. San Fran.-5-29-64 57,037 vs. San Fran.-5-31-64 1,732,597 in 1964
PhUadelphia. .. 36,765 vs. Brooklyn-10-2-49 40,007 vs. Cincinnati-8-19-46 40,720 vs. Brooklyn-5-11-47 1,425,891 in 1964
Plttsbureh-.. --44,932 vs. Brooklyn-8-23-56 42,254 vs. Clnclnnati-8-12-40 43,586 vs. New York-8-31-38 1,705,828 in 1960
St. Loula ... - .... 41,284 vs. New York-9-15-35 33,323 vs. Brooklyn-8-25-42 . 45,770 vs. Chicago-7-12-31 1,430,676 in 1949
San Francllco.42,894 vs. Milwaukee-4-14-64 41,943 vs. Milwaukee-5-2-60 42,787 vs. St . Louis-7-7-63 1,'185,356 in 1960
l,M1,920 in I 1,210,277 in
925,345 in 1,634,842 in 1,633,569 in ..
876,780 in 186J 1,391,812 in 1164
1,581,129 JD 1960 1,518,545 in 1946 1,803,709 in 1964
G&mes Attendance 1935 7 123,991
NATIONAL LEAG1JE ANNlJAL ATTENDANCE FIG1JRES - 1901·1964
4. Goble, Emerson (Editorl, "Recreation Bui ld i ngs ~nd Facilities", Architec t ural Record (July, 1965), 195-2 10 .
5. Goble, Emerson (Editorl, "Stadium Compl ex : Oakland, Ca lifor nia", Architectural Record (March, 1964l, 32-37.
6. Haskell, Douglas (Edi torl, "Stadiums", Archi tec tural Forum, CIX (September, 1965 l.
7. Houston Sports Association (Edi torl, I nside the Astrodome, 1965.
8. Howard, Seymour, "Space Frames ", Arch it ect ura I Recor d ( November, 1961 l, p. 198- 196.
9. Information from an interview by the author wit h Jim Harris, member of the Tulsa Oiler Basebal I Club of t h e Texas League, Lubbock, Texas, January I, 1966.
10. Informat i on fran an interview by the author wi t h E. W. Zukauckas, Jr., Associate Professor of Park Adm i nistration, Horticulture & Entomology, Texas Technolog i cal Col l ege, Apri 1 5, 1966.
II. Information in a let t er to the authorfromMr. R. B. Carpenter Dallas City Councilman, Dallas, Texas, December 2 , 1965 .
43
12. Le Messurier, William J., " Structure", Progressive Arch! t ecture (June, 1956) , p. 178-183.
13. Naslund, Kenneth, "Design Considerations for Hor i zontal Space Frames", Archit ec tu ral Record (August , 1964 ) , p . 152- 155.
14. Nas lund, Ken neth, "Model Tests Pred i ct Space Frame Behav i or", Architectural Record (December, 196 1 J, p . 152- 154.
15. Nervi, Pier Luigi, Buildings, Projects, Structures 1953-1963, translation by Gu i seppe N i coletti : Freder i ck A. Praeger, Inc ., New York , 1963.
16. Perk ins , Steve, "Astrodome & Marvel or Dud?", The Dal las T i mes Herald (February 27, 1966) Volume 131, No . 58 : I and 4 (Columns I, 2 , and 3l.
17. Plantinga, John E., "Environmental Control", Progressive Arch! tecture (June, 1965J, 184-187.
18. Ramsey, Charles Geor ge , and Harold Reeve S l eeper, Archi t ec t ura l Graph ic Standards (5th Edition). Joh n Wi ley & Sons, I nc., New York, 1956.
19. Rapp, Robert E., " Space Structures in Steel ", Architectural Record (November, 1961 J , p. 190-194.
20 . Rowan, Jan C. t Ed itor J, "Sea ttl e Co l iseum", Progressi ve Arch i tecture (March, 1964J, 176-181.
21 . Wi I Iiams, Wayne R. Recreat i on Places. Rienho l d Pub I ishing Corporation, New York , 1958.