Opened in 1983, the Saddledome has undergone many name changes (currently called Pengrowth Saddledome), but remains an architectural icon of Calgary and the 1988 Winter Olympics.
In typical Calgary fashion, there is now talk of the Flames building a new arena at which time the Saddledome may be demolished! That's right, 26 years (30 or so by the time this might happen) is apparently too old - disposable architecture at its worst, if you ask me. When I heard rumours of this I immediately had to find out more.
There is a great article by the Calgary Herald about the Saddledome and its entire history: "Sensational Saddledome Helped Define Calgary"
In the article, even the architect , Barry Graham won't stand up for it, saying, "I have mixed emotions. I really like the building, but I realize things don't last forever. If it has to come down, take it down."
But the building has been a hit from day one; The Saddledome hit the cover of Time magazine on Sept. 27, 1987. The construction and architectural world went ga-ga, bestowing the designers with several architectural and engineering awards.
Why would anyone demolish such a great structure? This is a building that stands out amongst the bland architecture of Calgary and of the world in general. I don't believe it will actually be demolished because it is just "too cool" for lack of a better term. But I also want to get the word out there that it is at risk! Anyways, read the article - it does a great job of telling the entire story.
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