The North Carolina State Fair is hosted each year in the 7,610-seat multi-purpose J. S. Dorton Arena in Raleigh area. The first visitors arrived in 1952.Maciej Nowicki, an architect working on a project for the Department of Architecture at North Carolina State University, perished in a plane crash before it could be finished. The local architect, William Henley Dietrick, oversaw the construction of the arena according to Nowicki’s blueprints.The saddle-shaped roof is held up by compressional parabolic concrete arches and tensioned steel cables. The arches extend down to meet each other at a height of twenty feet using tensioned steel wires. The exterior walls of the arena are flimsy at best.The Dorton Arena was included on the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1973. Before 1961, it was known as “State Fair Arena,” but it was renamed “Dr. J. S. Dorton Arena” after the former manager of the North Carolina State Fair.They’ve hosted everything from sporting events and concerts to political rallies and circuses.Dorton Arena’s roof was the first to use cables to float over the arena’s ceiling. Two parabolic concrete arches, tilted at an inclination such that they are roughly parallel to the ground rather than vertical, serve as the building’s foundation. At a height of 26 feet, the arches cross over and slope toward one another.When viewed from above, the structure takes on an oval shape due to the near-horizontal arches that create its outside edges. The exterior is lined with thin columns that support the arches. Cables are stretched between two contrasting arch elements to support the saddle-shaped ceiling. The very first cable support system was installed on this roof.Several other notable domed stadiums, including the Houston Astrodome (1965) and the Louisiana Superdome (1975), followed the stadium’s lead after its opening in 1952. In 2002, Dorton Arena was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in recognition of its significance to the development of civil engineering.At the North Carolina State Fair, the arena is used for more than just sports; it also hosts concerts. The floor of the arena is frequently utilized as an exhibition area in combination with the Jim Graham building, which is directly adjacent to the arena.The arena hosted the very first FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) regional in the state.Shaw University and Meredith College hold their commencement ceremonies in Dorton Arena, while the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics uses it as a backup venue in the event of poor weather.
The Mordecai House, Raleigh, NC
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