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Monolithic Dome News & Stories

Updated 12 Sep 2023 Home»
Johnson Creek School in Johnson Creek, Wisconsin.

The Monolithic Dome Institute News & Stories section with news stories, blog posts, curated content, and feature stories about the world of Monolithic Domes, thin shell structures, and curved architecture.

Feature Stories | Dome News | Think Round | In The Media | For Sale

Hurricane Ivan and the Magenheimer’s Search

Inflated 3/4 spherical Airform membrane.
By Freda Parker Posted 27 Feb 2006 Dome News»

Bill Magenheimer’s search for a better home after Hurricane Ivan destroyed his home led to building a Monolithic Dome home on a Florida beach. … read more

Church Members Call Hurricane Rita ‘eerie’

Satellite image of Hurricane Rita over the Gulf of Mexico.
By Freda Parker Posted 25 Sep 2005 Dome News»

As millions of people attempted to evacuate the Houston area, I-45 became completely clogged. Northbound traffic moved at speeds between one-half to one mile per hour. Because of this, about a dozen members of Maranatha decided to stay in their Monolithic Dome church during Hurricane Rita. … read more

New Monolithic Dome Multipurpose Center at Avalon

An orange ribbon across the front of the new Avalon Multipurpose Center.
13 Photos 13
By Freda Parker Posted 21 Nov 2002 Features»

While the population count of Avalon, Texas may be in doubt and small, its pride and interest in their school is not. Most recent proof of that is Avalon’s new Multipurpose Center, for its 250 students in pre-kindergarten to Grade 12. Designed by Monolithic Architect Rick Crandall and built with a 12’ stemwall, this Monolithic Dome measures 124’ x 25’ with a total height of 37 feet. … read more

Avalon High School Gymnasium Construction Photo Journal

Rendering of the Avalon gym.
24 Photos 24
By Kris Garrison Posted 7 Mar 2002 Dome News»

The construction process of the Avalon Multipurpose Center in Avalon, Texas. The Avalon ISD school administration broke ground on the new facility on December 19, 2001. The completed Monolithic Dome is 124-feet in diameter by 25-feet tall on a 12-foot stem wall. It features a full-size basketball court, four locker rooms, synthetic glass block foyer, restrooms, concessions, and seating for 720 spectators. … read more

The Gladiator Coliseum in Italy … Texas

Italy High School gymnasium.
6 Photos 6
By Freda Parker Posted 1 Mar 2002 Features»

Once the 2,000 residents of Italy, Texas, passed a $2 million bond for a multipurpose center, administrators began researching popular construction methods for school facilities. Superintendent Mike Clifton said, “Of course we were all familiar with the domes. We had a good overview. But we really had to see for ourselves, so we visited Thousand Oaks—a dome already operating—and we came away convinced.” … read more

The Pantheon: A Temple to All Gods

Panorama of Vistors Beneath the Pantheon Dome.
13 Photos 13
By Freda Parker Posted 21 Jun 2001 Features»

Michelangelo (1475–1564) looked at everything with an artist’s critical eye, and he was not easily impressed. But when Michelangelo first saw the Pantheon in the early 1500s, he proclaimed it of “angelic and not human design.” The Pantheon’s concrete dome inspired landmarks worldwide and is the spiritual ancestor to the modern Monolithic Dome. … read more

The Unforgettable Events and Activities at Park University’s Sports Center

The double dome complex and main entrance.
11 Photos 11
By Freda Parker Posted 1 Jun 2001 Features»

“No one who attended the first graduation at our new Breckon Center will ever forget it,” said Rita Weighill of Park University. The new twin-dome sports facilities is a first-class sports venue added to the extensive underground campus at Parkville, Missouri. … read more

The Invisible Dome Home: Privacy, Security and Longevity, All Under One Roof

The great room and entryway of the underground house in Buffalo, Texas.
16 Photos 16
By Freda Parker Posted 21 Mar 2001 Features»

Visitors to Glenn Young’s Monolithic Dome home often have a problem finding his front door. That’s because Glenn and John St. Pé, co-owners of Dome Contractors, Inc., built Glenn’s Monolithic Dome home completely underground. “We’ve had people come out who didn’t know there was a house there and actually parked on top of it,” Glenn said. … read more

Italy High School Gymnasium Construction Photo Journal

Rendering of Italy High School gymnasium.
36 Photos 36
By Kris Garrison Posted 15 Jan 2001 Dome News»

The Italy High School Multipurpose Center is a 148-foot diameter gymnasium in Italy, Texas. The finished gym will accommodate 1500 and is expected to be finished on December 1, 2001. The facility will be used for basketball, physical education, volleyball, theatrical performances, and more. Beyond the gymnasium floor, the building includes locker rooms, restrooms, storage, a concession stand, and a ticket booth. The dome will also serve as an emergency shelter during severe weather. … read more

Hurricane Keith Huffed and Puffed and …

Satellite image of Hurricane Keith.
By Freda Parker Posted 21 Dec 2000 Dome News»

Like the wolf of Three-Little-Pigs fame, Hurricane Keith huffed and puffed and literally blew homes down, but unlike our fairy tale wolf, Keith didn’t stop there. From Friday, September 29 to Sunday, October 1, 2000, Keith—a force 4 hurricane with winds up to 135 mph—raged over Ambergris Caye off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea. With the ease of a giant weeding his garden, Keith uprooted trees, flattened buildings, overturned aircraft, and jettisoned boats onto rocks. Meanwhile, the severe, three-day rains Keith brought with him caused floods and mudslides, swept jetties away, and downed power lines. … read more

“Marilee,” She Comes Around

Flower pots on the back patio of Shamrock Chateau.
9 Photos 9
By Freda Parker & Kris Garrison Posted 1 Oct 2000 Features»

“Whoever built that ought to be shot!” So said Marilee Byrne the first time she saw a Monolithic Dome. Now, nearly twenty years later, Marilee often recalls that story as she welcomes visitors to her spacious dome home in Italy, Texas, designed by Larry Byrne, Marilee’s husband and MDI’s vice president of marketing and design. The interior of this Monolithic Dome dream home consists of 2660 square feet in three domes, with diameters of 30, 40 and 32 feet. … read more

Xanadu: A Dome in Paradise

Xanadu exterior.
6 Photos 6
By Freda Parker Posted 21 Mar 2000 Features»

Xanadu—Samuel Taylor Coleridge coined that name for his imagined paradise in 1797. Some two hundred years later, Ivan and Judy Sheinbaum began creating their Xanadu—a Monolithic Dome tropical island resort on Ambergris Caye in the West Caribbean nation of Belize. … read more

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