Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay Random
First off, since when is 35 years ‘half a generation’? You must come from a very long-lived species.
Now to our muttons:
The Saddledome was badly designed from the get-go. That's the problem, not its age. They just completely rebuilt the interior of MSG (which is now 50 years old and going strong), which was possible because the shell is a free-standing structure. That kind of renovation (not, I hope, at that price tag) would make the Saddledome serviceable for decades to come – but it is physically impossible because of the engineering of that poured-concrete monstrosity. You can't change the bowl because it's needed to hold up the roof, and you can't change the size of the concourse because it's defined by load-bearing columns that hold up the bowl. And you can't tuck a practice rink or extra amenities into the wings of the building, because it hasn't got any wings.
A new arena properly designed, with forethought put into the need for eventual renovations, would provide us with a great facility for generations to come. So would an old arena properly designed, but we haven't got one of those.
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I am curious to know how many NHL arenas besides MSG feature this same free-standing shell design concept.