Pioneer Theater-Auditorium
Originally to be called the Apollo Theater, the Pioneer took its name from a 1939 statue of a pioneer family by Byron S. Johnson, salvaged from the Old State Building, which was demolished to make way for the new facility. Unofficially, the dome was called the "Golden Turtle." It consists of a 500-panel aluminum shell on an inner steel frame, which is in turn supported by reinforced concrete arches. The orchestra level of the theater is depressed below ground level, allowing the roof to nearly touch the ground at the corners.
The Washoe County Fair and Recreation Board, which was responsible for the project, was particularly taken with Casa Mañana in Fort Worth, Texas, resulting in the selection of the domed concept. The Pioneer Center was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
See also
- Gold Dome, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, also NRHP-listed
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Harmon, Mella Rothwell (August 31, 2004). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Pioneer Theater-Auditorium". National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
External links
Media related to Pioneer Center (Reno, Nevada) at Wikimedia Commons
- Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts webpage
- Photographs of the Pioneer Center at the National Park Service NRHP database