Dorton Arena
J. S. Dorton Arena is a 7,610-seat multi-purpose arena located in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the grounds of the North Carolina State Fair. It opened in 1952 as State Fair Arena. It has hosted many sporting events, concerts, political rallies, and circuses.
Dorton Area was the first structure in the world to use a cable-supported roof. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1973. It was designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2002.
History
Dorton Arena was originally named the State Fair Arena when it opened in 1952 on the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, North Carolina. The building was designed by architect Maciej Nowicki of the North Carolina State University Department of Architecture, who was killed in an airplane crash before the construction phase. Local architect William Henley Dietrick supervised the completion of the arena using Nowicki's innovative design. It was dedicated to Dr. J. S. Dorton, former North Carolina State Fair manager, in 1961.Dorton Arena was one of only two new building in the United States given a 1953 National Honor Award by the American Institute of Architects. Dorton Arena was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1973. It was designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2002.
Architecture
Dorton Arena was the first structure in the world to use a cable-supported roof. Its design features a steel cable supported saddle-shaped roof in tension, held up by parabolic concrete arches in compression. The arches cross about 26 feet above ground level and continue underground, where their ends are held together by more steel cables in tension. Its design features a steel cable supported saddle-shaped roof in tension, held up by parabolic concrete arches in compression. The arches cross about twenty feet above ground level and continue underground, where their ends are held together by more steel cables in tension. The outer walls of the arena support next to no weight at all.The arena served as an inspiration to many architects and civil engineers, both at home and abroad. This led to a boom in lightweight constructions such as the Europe 1-Broadcasting House in Überherrn, the auditorium Paul-Emile Janson in Bruxelles, the Ingalls Rink in New Haven, the Športová hala Pasienky in Bratislava, the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, the Ice Aréna in Prešov and the Sporthal Beverwijk in Beverwijk. Most famous – albeit not in terms of the dysfunctional foundations – is the Congress Hall in Berlin. As a prominent symbol of the German-American alliance during the Cold War era and beyond it caused similar constructions in various parts of Germany.
Events
Sports
Dorton Arena has hosted numerous sporting events and teams throughout the decades. The longest-running tenant was the Raleigh IceCaps ice hockey team from 1991-1998. The American Basketball Association's Carolina Cougars also played some games in the arena from 1969-74. It was also the home of the Carolina Rollergirls.The Cougars became tenants after the Houston Mavericks moved to North Carolina in 1969. The Cougars were a "regional franchise", playing "home" games in Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum and Raleigh. Hall of Fame Coach Larry Brown began his coaching career with the Cougars in 1972. Billy Cunningham was the ABA MVP for Brown and the Cougars in the 1972-73 season. Despite a strong fan base, the Cougars were sold and moved to St. Louis in 1974.
Dorton Arena was a popular venue for professional wrestling in the 70s and 80s, with sometimes weekly matches. Wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper defeated "Nature Boy" Ric Flair for the National Wrestling Alliance WWE [United States Championship|U.S. Heavyweight championship] in Dorton Arena on Jan. 27, 1981.
Beginning in 2016, it became the home of the Triangle Torch in American Indoor Football. The Torch have since played as members of Supreme Indoor Football but left Dorton Arena before the 2018 season in the American Arena League.
Other events
Besides hosting sporting events, the arena is also used for concerts during the North Carolina State Fair. Various conventions and fairs also use the floorspace of the arena as an exhibition space, often in conjunction with the neighboring Jim Graham building.The arena has hosted the FIRST Robotics Competition regional robotics competition and was the first space to hold a regional in the state.
Both Shaw University and Meredith College use Dorton Arena as a site for graduation, and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics uses the facility as a rain site for their commencement exercises.