The Pengrowth Saddledome is the main indoor stadium facility in Calgary, 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.

It is the home of the following teams:

• Calgary Flames - National Hockey League
• Calgary Hitmen - Western Hockey League
• Calgary Roughnecks - National Lacrosse League

Architecture

• Architect: Graham McCourt Architects
• Engineer: Jan Bobrowski and Partners
• Contractor: CANA Construction
• Cost: $70,000,000 CAD

The distinctive saddle-shaped roof is an inverted hyperbolic paraboloid. It was a design borrowed from Washington D.C.'s U.S. Airways Arena. 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.

Depending on the event configuration, the facility seats 16,000 to 19,500 spectators.

History

When it was completed in 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 later renamed the Canadian Airlines Saddledome when the Calgary-based airline became the building's sponsor. 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 'Dome 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, and Wheel of Fortune have all been held at the Saddledome in its 20 year history.

External Links

• Official Saddledome Site
• Construction Details