Locals called the Houston Astrodome The Eighth Wonder of the World when it opened in 1965. The building's state-of-the-art architecture and technology formed the basis of what is now known as Reliant Park.
Reliant Park Venues:
- Reliant Astrodome: opened April 9,1965 (architect: Lloyd and Morgan), one of the first professional sports venues to use Astroturf
- Reliant Arena: opened February 14, 1971 (architect: Lloyd Jones & Associates), 349,000 gross sq. ft., fixed seating (main arena: 5,800; pavilion: 1,700)
- Reliant Center: opened April 12, 2002 (architect: Hermes Reed Architects), single level exhibition building, 1.4 million total sq. ft. (590 feet wide; 1532 feet long); 706,213 sq.ft. total exhibit area
- Reliant Stadium: opened September 8, 2002 (architects: HSC and HOK)
Total size: 1.9 million square feet
Seating Capacity: 71,500
Field: 97,000 sq. ft. of natural grass
Retractable Roof Opening time: 10 minutes
Size of roof opening - 500 feet long; 385 feet wide
Size of supertruss: 960 feet long; 50-75 feet wide
Roof material: steel with Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric covering
Hurricane Ike: damaged roof in 2008
Reliant Park Master Plan Analysis and Recommendations:
The Reliant Arena has become outdated—touring productions have outgrown the Arena's low ceilings and inadequate technologies. Likewise, the Reliant Astrodome, closed since 2008, has become insufficient next to the newer Reliant Stadium. The Astrodome is rich in U.S. history, however, including it being home to Louisianans displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In 2012, the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation (HCSCC) began the long process of analysis in order to form recommendations for the future of Reliant Park.
Learn More:
- A profile of Reliant Stadium
- Reliant Park Official Website
- "Houston Tries to Find a Use for Its Fading Astrodome," by Manny Fernandez and Daniel Cadis, The New York Times, May 23, 2012
Source: Reliant Park Info, Reliant Park official website at http://reliantpark.com/quick-facts [accessed January 28, 2013]
