For almost a decade, the timber-rich Tacoma Dome in Washington, USA stood as the world’s largest wooden dome.
Designed by architects McGranahan and Messenger, the Tacoma Dome indoor arena opened its doors in 1983 at a cost of $44-million. Measuring at 160m in diameter and 46m tall, the dome can seat 23,000.
When measured by volume, the Tacoma Dome is the largest arena with a wooden dome in the world. Credit: Tacoma Dome
Having formerly held the title as the world’s largest wooden dome, the Tacoma Dome was overtaken in 1991 by the Superior Dome in Marquette, Michigan.
Covering a sports stadium located on the campus of Northern Michigan University, the 14-storey Superior Dome is a larger-diameter geodesic dome at 163m but is 44m high and seats a maximum of 16,000. The structure features 781 Douglas Fir beams and over 170km of fir decking.
The Tacoma Dome is regarded as the largest arena with a wooden dome in the world when measured by volume.
