ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The Dorton Arena (1949-1953) was a highly innovative and influential work of architecture and structural engineering. Designed by the architect Matthew Nowicki and the structural engineer Fred Severud, this building overcame many of the engineering obstacles that restrained the development of tension-hung structures. Nowicki and Severud addressed engineering issues of ‘flutter’, sufficient tensioning of individual cables, imbalanced load conditions, and self-contained foundation systems, all in a dynamic architectural form. Influencing designers like Eero Saarinen, Frei Otto and Kenzo Tange, the Dorton Arena initiated the modern field of tension-hung roofs – a field that continues today in structures like the Velodrome (Hopkins Architects) for the 2012 London Olympics.
