Civic Arena under Construction | Historic Pittsburgh

1959-02

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Title
Civic Arena under Construction
Creator
United States Steel Corp.
Identifier
MSP285.B001.F17.I03
Source Identifier
MSP285.B001.F17.I03
Description
The Civic Arena, today known as Mellon Arena, is located in the heart of the Lower Hill section of Pittsburgh. The architectural firm of Mitchell & Ritchey and the engineering firm of Ammann & Whitney and Robert Zern designed the structure. The Civic Arena opened in 1962 with a stainless steel dome 415 feet in diameter (the world’s largest at the time) composed of eight sections that are supported by a cantilevered tripod that holds six of the sections when they are swiveled back. Each of the sections weighs 220 tons; all six can be opened in a little over two minutes. The entire movable roof weighs 5.5 million pounds. The capacity of the building at the time of its construction was 18,000. Pittsburgh companies were integral to its construction, with the dome sections made by ALCOA, the motors for the retractable dome by Westinghouse, and the ventilation system by Koppers.
Genre
photographs
Subject
Civic Arena (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Auditoriums--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh.
Mellon Arena (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Lower Hill (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Source
Allegheny Conference on Community Development Photographs, 1892-1981, MSP 285, Library and Archives Division, Senator John Heinz History Center
Contributor
Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center
Collection
Allegheny Conference on Community Development Photographs
Rights Information
Copyright Not Evaluated. The copyright and related rights status of this Item has not been evaluated. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use.
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