1968 Summer Olympics
The Sports Palace—located 14 miles (23 km) from the Olympic Village and 6.5 from downtown Mexico City in the Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City near the conflux of two expressways (Miguel Alemán Viaduct and Río Churubusco Interior Loop)—was constructed specifically for the Olympic basketball competition. Built between October 15, 1966 and September, 1968, it is circular in design with a square-patterned dome spanning 380 feet (120 m) and enclosing an area of 6.7 acres (27,000 m2). The dome consists of hyperbolic paraboloids of tubular aluminum covered with waterproof copper-sheathed plywood and supported by huge steel arches. The Sports Palace seats 22,370—including 7,370 in removable seats. There is parking space for 3,864 vehicles.
Designed by architects Félix Candela, A. Peyri and E. Castañeda Tamborell, the structure has three floors, which house complete facilities for athletes, judges, officials, organizers, as well as services for radio, television and the press. A mezzanine provides access to the boxes and middle and upper stands. The Sports Palace was designed for a wide variety of programming: boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, fencing, etc., as well as for exhibitions, and tournaments that require more space, such as volleyball, basketball, ice hockey, cycling, athletic meets, equestrian shows, dances, circuses, conventions and expositions.
Read more about this topic: Palacio De Los Deportes
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—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)