Hershey Sports Arena, Hershey, Pennsylvania

[basefinder]

This was the first large-scale thin-shell concrete project in the US, constructed in 1936. Engineer Anton Tedesko of the Roberts & Schaefer Company designed the building, with 3.5 inch thick barrel vaults spanning 222 feet. This was his third thin-shell project in the US, after the first Hayden Planetarium in New York and the temporary dairy barns

Comments

[amethyst_witch]

Ooh love the last photo!

:)

[basefinder]

Thanks! Great detail, isn't it? My understanding is all the decoration was cast directly in the walls as they were poured.

[amethyst_witch]

Wow, yes :) Incredible. They don't make anything like that, anymore (modern "architecture" is SO depressing. "Hi here's a square. AND...a RECTANGLE!! OOOOH! All in stunning Government Grey".)

[restoman]

I love the Art Deco details on the building!

If Debbie went up the Kissing Tower with you, I hope you gave her a couple between snapping pictures! ;-)

[basefinder]

The car rotated around the tower as it raised and lowered, so we had time for a quick smooch each revolution. :-)

I was delighted with the fine condition of the building and the decorative concrete details.

[man_of_snows]

This looks frighteningly like the Kibbe Dome in Moscow, Idaho. I thought that first picture was. They remodeled it while I was in attendance at the school sadly.

[basefinder]

Haha! A lot of these big barrel vaults look similar; sometimes it's tough to tell just from a photo if they are concrete, steel, wood, etc. The Kibbie Dome is quite interesting in its own right.

[nahele_101]

For some weird reason, I read "1930s building" and immediate thought of Nazis?

Pretty building though!

[basefinder]

That is weird! From what I've read, Hitler was not a fan, so thin-shell concrete was not a part of the Third Reich building program. I'm okay with that.

[colestainedpage]

The overall architecture of this building is beautiful.