Professional Documents
Culture Documents
R
ising boldly from the design’s energetic expression is
shores of Lake Erie—with readily apparent, with an unusual
part of the building actu- geometric configuration and por-
ally extending out above the tions of the building seemingly
water—the new Rock and Roll exploding outward from a central
Hall of Fame is a vital part of the tower core. Needless to say, the
new cultural and recreational complex geometry presented
area being developed along the numerous structural challenges.
Cleveland waterfront. In addition
The desire for a signature struc-
to the Hall of Fame, the 150,000-
ture resulted in a design that can
sq.-ft. project houses 50,000 sq. ft.
be divided into five distinct parts:
of exhibition space for rock and
a sloping glass tent; central tower;
roll memorabilia, a grand public
cantilever theater wing; circular
atrium, theater, radio broadcast-
exhibit wing; and underground
ing studio and other support facil-
exhibit areas.
ities.
The glass-enclosed public space
Even before its opening, the
of the tent provides a dramatic
building received national atten-
entrance to the Hall of Fame
tion for its unusual architecture
from the plaza. The sloped sur-
and exposed structural system, a
face of the tent literally leans
design which, in the words of
against the tower beyond, with
architect I.M. Pei, “echo(s) the
two vertical glass walls complet-
energy of rock and roll.” The
Judges
Comments
The complex geometry
and variety of the
architectural require-
ments provided the
engineers with a
unique opportunity to
ing the enclosure. Structural steel tion is in front of and 13.5’ above
show the versatility of
pipes and tubes provided the the smaller parallelogram-shaped
architecturally expressed support- portion. Together, the sloped sur- steel.
ing structure, while the sloped faces cover an area more than
surfaces are supported by an ele- 270’ wide. At the intersection of
Design of the tent structure was
gant system of gently tapering the two sloped surfaces, the tent
largely governed by wind deflec-
bowstring trusses. The interior of is supported by a sloping pipe
tions. To control deflections of the
the tent is filled with light: bal- truss spanning 200’ from one of
ridge truss in the most efficient
conies, stairs, bridges and escala- the four corners of the tower
manner, its connections to the
tors crisscross the space, bringing down to the plaza. The top chord
tower structure and to the plaza
color and animation to the public of this ridge truss is at the level of
were detailed to achieve continu-
spaces. the triangular section of the tent;
ity. This resulted in approximately
the bottom chord is at the level of
The sloped surface of the tent a fivefold reduction in deflections,
the parallelogram.
rises at a 45 degree angle to a and permitted the use of lighter
height of 135’ above the prome- The sloped glass surface is sup- steel sections that would be need-
nade level and is divided into two ported by a space frame grid of ed for the equivalent simply-sup-
parts. The larger, triangular por- 16 bowstring pipe trusses varying ported truss.