San Antonio Commercial Roofing Icon – Hemisfair Arena – An Analysis
In my previous post, I evaluated all that went into the construction of the roof for the Alamodome – a true San Antonio commercial roofing masterpiece.
Today I want to share a brief analysis of another San Antonio roofing icon – Hemisfar Arena, where the San Antonio Spurs played basketball from 1973 until 1992, when they moved to the Alamodome.
The story of Hemisfair Arena’s roof is a fascinating one. After being built in 1968 for the San Antonio’s World Fair, the Spurs moved there in 1973. The Spurs were an enormous hit at Hemisfair, regularly selling out on a nightly basis.
In order to accommodate more spectators, in 1977, the San Antonio City Council approved $4 million in funds to raise the San Antonio roof.
Here’s what I learned about the roof raising project:
- As a first step, the roof structure had to be cut loose and raised up.
- With the help of 38 jacks, the roof was lifted 33 feet!
- The weight of the roof was 2,260 tons.
- The project took 4 days to complete and was lifted at a rate of 2.5 feet per hour.
- The project was done all throughout the Spurs basketball season – talk about a logistical minefield.
- By the summer of 1978, the roof lift was finally completed, allowing for the San Antonio Spurs to host 16,000 fans (nearly 6,000 more than had been previously possible).
What an incredible roofing project. Such a crazy undertaking cements, in my mind, Hemisfair Arena’s roof as a San Antonio Commercial Roof legend.
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