Sports Domes: Past, Present and Future

Sports domes are catching on rapidly in our day and age. Read all about them here, from their history to their likely future.

** The Beginning of Sports Domes **

Although playing sports in the mud, rain, sleet, rain or in intense heat and sunlight, it can be quite a spectacle for TV observers in their nice, warm, dry, comfortable living rooms, but it can be quite another story for athletes and spectators braving the elements in their cold, metal seats and whatever jackets/coats, hats, gloves, etc. they remembered to bring with them, if they brought anything at all above the usual sport attire (face paint, sports t-shirts, etc.). And sports uniforms not designed for cold, wet weather aren’t much help for those athletes who sometimes stand still or in a puddle.

Then someone came up with the really good idea to house sporting events inside a temporary (i.e. easy to set up and take down at any time) structure to protect the players and audience without breaking the bank like a permanent structure might, or damaging the environment like a brick and mortar building might.

Soccer (European football) was one of the first sports played inside sports domes, with unlimited length restrictions and huge 1,000 foot width restrictions. And many other sports are catching on now as well. It is an exciting time for sports fans, both players and fans.

** How Air Domes Work **

Air domes (or Bubble structures) are kept "inflated" for maximum interior space and minimum obstructions from supporting columns by maintaining positive air pressure. That way, air is constantly pushing on the walls from within, keeping the structure inflated and also full of air that can be fresh, recycled, air conditioned or heated, or any combination.

Sports domes can also be not only portable, but also custom made to suit virtually any venue such as:

- Music concerts
- Riding arenas
- Sporting events (soccer, golf, baseball, tennis, volleyball, etc.)
- Entertainment venues
- Religious events
- Or almost any other possible venue (use your imagination, and don’t let anyone say it can’t be done!)

Size is also almost no limit, with some air domes in Russia as large as three football fields used or church services. And there are plans to build domes that will be large enough to cover an entire golf course! That’s really big! And why not go even larger? As technology improves, and popularity and demand increase, sports domes will continue to get even larger and larger to satisfy such demands and inspire even more creativity to continue to push the technological envelope still more and more.

** How Air Domes Are Put Together **

Usually, sports domes are constructed from one piece in a matter of a mere few days at a site that has been prepared beforehand. Before you know it, you’ll be filling your sports domes with hundreds, or perhaps even thousands, of paying and/or happy spectators.

Inflatable Sports Domes are perfect for nearly any outdoor activity where you desire a controlled environment indoors.

** Advantages of Sports Domes Over Other Methods **

Sports domes are much faster to set up and more effective than laying tarps. But it took a while for them to really catch in technologically. But now they are becoming more popular all over the world. Some sports domes don’t even require airlocks anymore, removing the need to take great care to open the tent large doors without the possibility of collapsing the tents due to an inability to keep the airflow up to its required level. High-volume fans can keep the air flow up to par while loading doors are wide open.

And air domes can also save electricity for lights, being translucent to allow sunlight into the otherwise dark or artificially lit environment. New technological advances will also continue to make sports domes a better and better idea as time goes on.

** The Best of Both Worlds **

Some sports domes are now being combined with traditional brick and mortar buildings in the twenty first century, making a building that has unique and attractive features, having benefits of both types of structures and flexibility/adaptability of the two very different design types. Plus, it can be a real eye catcher and attractor for many visitors.