Scotiabank Saddledome (peer feedback is welcome)
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Calgary’s Saddledome is a large multi-purpose stadium at the heart of the city of Calgary, Alberta. This stadium was built for the 1988 Winter Olympics with the hopes of making Calgary an internationally renowned city. Sadly, these dreams were not turned into a reality. We believe that this stadium has a lot of potential in terms of societal significance. This page contributes to public knowledge about the Saddledome by going over the stadium’s history from its inception through its Olympic days and into the modern era where it has struggled to maintain its status as a world class stadium. This page demonstrates how the Saddledome has impacted the citizens of Calgary, its downfall as to why it did not help turn Calgary into a major Canadian city, it is compared to certain landmarks in Montreal and Vancouver and finally this page describes what the Saddledome is presently used for.
Images
Graphic Map of Calgary - This illustrated map of Calgary prominently features many of their main tourist attractions, including the Saddledome. The use of bold colours and trendy fonts work to modernize Calgary and aim to appeal to a younger, more hipster demographic. Placing the Saddledome among newer and more Prominent landmarks works to undo the notion that the Scotiabank Saddledome is obsolete. The use of graphic illustrations with only short written descriptions emphasises how important the iconic architectural structure of the stadium is to its relevance. The Saddledome is displayed right in the city's heart, very near the downtown. Its placement on one of the few roads illustrated on the map pushes the narrative of its centrality and accessibility.
Construction of the Saddledome - This photograph captures the construction of the Saddledome in 1982, shortly after its opening in 1983. Its saddle-shaped dome reflects the “cowboy” identity of the city of Calgary and acts as a distinctive structure among the city’s skyline. Furthermore, the image emphasises the massive scale of the building as opposed to its skyscraper counterparts by placing the Saddledome at the forefront of the frame. Evidently, the Saddledome is an impressive and important infrastructure in the composition of Calgary as a city.
Form and Function - This promotional document of the Saddledome was diffused around the time of its opening to the public in 1983, just a few years prior to the 1988 Olympics. At the center, there is a drawn symbol of the Saddledome with lines alongside brief descriptions pointing to significant areas within the arena. The document’s language highlights the excitement and innovation around the use of Calgary’s newest building and even offers a timeline for the building’s intended use. It claims the Saddledome is the “heart” of Calgary’s entertainment, placing its importance above all other infrastructure within the city and connoting the Saddledome with a certain necessity.
Scotiabank Saddledome Entrance - Jacqueline Kennelly's 'You're making our city look bad': Olympic security, neoliberal urbanization, and homeless youth" discusses the impact hosting an Olympic Games can have on a city, primarily focusing on the aftermath when a city hosts the games prematurely. Kennelly mainly focuses her article on the ramifications of the Vancouver (2010) and London (2012) Olympic Games, as she dives into the comparison between the Games and explains each city's form of neoliberalism urbanization. This could be considered relatable to the Saddle Dome as from our past meetings. It has been quite clear that Calgary isn't considered a 'major' city in Canada, despite the Saddledome. It’s evident the lack of attraction the Saddledome receives, despite its central downtown location. As most arenas are located on the outskirts of a city, the Saddledome is geographically convenient for downtown Calgary. Therefore, the fact that the Saddledome doesn’t get as much attention despite it’s location is certainly concerning. The exterior of the arena is very bland and boring, as it displays nothing too exciting for tourists. This could possibly be why the Saddledome lacks attraction; the architecture is boring. The partial reason famous arenas gain attraction is because of their architecture, such as Miami's FTX arena or the landscape of Tampa's Amalie Arena. Or another example is the Rogers Centre in Toronto, as directly next to it is the CN tower which will ultimately draw mass attractions. Similar to many Olympic' Host Cities', there have been many stadiums and other resources built for the games. Plenty of ramifications is put into place to levitate the city's status to a "global scale." For example, Vancouver went through many consequences in response to the Olympic Games, as affordable housing was erased, increased policing, etc. The city of Vancouver went through many changes prior to hosting the Olympics. This makes one wonder whether Calgary went through much change from the birth of the Saddle-dome for the 1988 Olympics, as the Saddledome was created five years prior. What changes were made to the city prior to the birth of the saddle dome and/or the Olympics? Would Calgary be considered similar in this aspect or different? I think Calgary and Vancouver are both not large enough cities to hold such an event. All in all, it’s interesting how these cities are trying to benefit the status of their city by hosting these games but have the citizens of the city themselves pay the price.
Scotiabank Saddledome at Night - We can see in the centre of the image the building from the front view where you can see the Scotiabank Saddledome in Alberta, Calgary behind it there’s the light-up city of Calgary filled with a skyline of many skyscrapers. The Saddledome was named for its horse-saddle-shaped roof. The arena has a round shape with sort of huge pillars of red and yellow colors on its side. In addition, since this picture was taken at night the building are fully lit up, at the top we can see a band of red light that surrounds the roof of the infrastructure, and then in the front, the Saddledome logo which is a red and yellow infinity sign with the Scotiabank logo above. Then below it around the building's base is covered in white/blue-ish lights. Despite there being 10+ skyscrapers in the background of this photo the way that the Saddledome is lit up and positioned in this photo it appears to be the largest structure standing out more than the buildings behind it. The way this photograph was taken really makes the Saddledome stand out compared to the background, mainly because the Saddledome stands out with red lighting and the background is mostly blue but also because the buildings closest to the Saddledome don't compare in size.
Inside the Scotiabank Saddledome - This image was captured inside the Saddledome right before one of Canada’s most significant sporting events: an NHL game for the Calgary Flames. The image is taken from the perspective of a fan in the audience cheering for the Calgary Flames during a game. The players, coaches, refs and fans are all standing, facing the Canadian flag while the national anthem is being sung. This image encompases Canadian identity and nationalism through its red colours, Canadian flags being passed through the crowd, collective admiration for the game of hockey and paying their respects to the country. The stadium appears to be sold out with the majority of the fans wearing Calgary jerseys. There is a sense of pride and community within the stadium as tens of thousands of strangers share one thing in common, their love for the Calgary Flames and the game of hockey. Once these strangers enter the Saddledome, they are united as they cheer, “boo” and heckle together. No matter what one may be going through, when that red goal light goes off for their team, one thing is certain, nothing else in the world matters.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Backstory and Context / Goal Behind its Construction
Calgary's Saddledome is a sizeable multi-purpose stadium at the heart of the city of Calgary, Alberta. Although, it had its beginnings with other uses. In 1980, both the City of Calgary and the Province of Alberta, alongside the Federal Government of Canada, bid to host the 1988 Olympic Winter Games. Once the offer was accepted, it was built with a combined effort amongst the three [1] . Moreover, the stadium would replace the humble Stampede Corral upon the upcoming arrival of the NHL team Calgary Flames. On October 15, 1983, the Saddledome was officially open to the public [2] . The design of the Saddledome would follow a "hyperbolic paraboloid" structure signalling the signature saddle-like curve of its roof [3] . This design was chosen for many reasons; its "saddle" design represented Calgary's western heritage. The concave roof structure was conducive to a more intimate feeling as it reduced the interior volume. That roof design also proved to have the lowest capital cost with greater accommodation and best energy conservation, lowering overall maintenance costs[4] . When looking at the other proposed designs, the Saddledome was the most effective. The stadium is currently home to three sports teams: National Hockey League's Calgary Flames, Women's Hockey League's Calgary Hitmen and National Lacrosse League's Calgary Roughnecks. It is still in use today, hosting various events. However, its future use is being debated, and its future is unknown.
Impacts on the City and its People
Shortly after its construction and subsequent opening, the Calgary Saddledome became a distinctive key component of Calgary's cityscape, among other notable landmarks such as the Calgary Tower, The Bow, Bankers Hall and Eighth Avenue Place [5] . In hosting the Olympic Winter Games, a winter sports culture emerged within the city, and Calgary bolstered its global image [6] . These new Olympic buildings both demonstrate Calgary's ability to host a huge event and as an opportunity to showcase the city, furthering itself from its view as solely an oil-town [7] . Moreover, Olympic buildings encourage a range of leisure activities, spending, and entertainment opportunities that establish the city's capacity to host such an event and display the city's investment possibilities [8] . The construction of the Saddledome was a visual marker of this renewed sense of optimism and opportunity among Calgarians. Yet, the Saddledome's structure had other consequences besides this image bolstering and being a central hub. While its saddle-like dome was once a deciding factor in its construction, its dome shape now hinders its success as it limits its ability to host a broader range of events [9] . The post-Olympic Saddledome was primarily used by people purchasing high-priced tickets for events, restricting public access within the stadium [10] . For these reasons, plans exto convert the Saddledome into a parking lot to increase the productivity of the land or even to replace the stadium entirely. Nonetheless, today, after its use as an Olympic venue, the Saddledome and its surrounding land act as a central communal space for all people.
Why Did the Saddledome not Turn Calgary into a Major Canadian City?
By Larkins definition, infrastructures are "built networks that facilitate the flow of goods, people, or ideas and allow for their exchange over space. As physical forms, they shape the nature of a network, the speed and direction of its movement, its temporalities, and its vulnerability to breakdown"[12] . Larkin's explanation of what infrastructure is and what it does makes it clear that they are defined by social processes within them and surrounding them rather than their architectural components. Calgary had high hopes that the Saddledome would become a revolutionary landmark that turned the city into a major Canadian city. Regrettably, one building cannot transform an entire city into a major city because infrastructure is dependent on and defined by the social processes and culture that take place within it. A building itself cannot shape the people & the culture around it; the people and the culture shape the infrastructure. Thus, without a booming population and poor geographic location, the Saddledome was limited in what it could do for the city leading to its inevitable failure to transform that city into what city officials hoped it could one day be. City leaders favoured the construction of the Saddledome not only to host the Olympics but also to accomplish items on their urban agenda [13] . Cities often use the Olympics as a parallel or linkage in transforming their urban environment and therefore attracting large influxes of people long after the Olympics are over. When Calgary began pitching its city as an Olympic host, they promised that the construction of the Saddledome would have a domino effect that would include job creation, tax revenues and tourist attractions [14] . The Saddledome was created to promote Calgary as a desirable destination for tourism and private investment. Before and during the 1988 Olympics, there was tremendous buzz encompassing Calgary, but this faded shortly after the Olympics were over. There is a halo effect of being an Olympic city, by which the host city is seen as this great, long-lasting eventful city. This wears off shortly after the games are finished. People quickly forget about old host cities if outsiders do not want to travel to that city again[15] . The Saddledome is an indoor arena that hosts the city's NHL team, national lacrosse team, concerts, shows and a minimal selection of restaurants. All of this considered, it is still not a desirable destination for tourists because the location is not easily accessible to foreigners, and there are no tourist attractions close by that lure people to the city. The Saddledome's target audience is minimal. Unless you're a sports fan willing to spend hundreds of dollars on a single sporting event or concert, then most of the Saddledome's events will not interest you. The Saddledome is only beneficial to a limited target audience and does not promote an inviting environment for people who have interests other than sports and the money to see them. Therefore, the Saddledome could not transform Calgary into the significant city officials hoped it would.
The Politics and Poetics of Infrastructure by Brian Larkin
It is relevant to note the evolution of infrastructures that encompasses all the social and cultural events within them. Larkin notes that "it is difficult to separate an analysis of infrastructures from this sedimented history and our belief that, by promoting circulation, infrastructures bring about change, and through the change, they enact progress" [16] . As our society has evolved over the last few decades, it is evident that the Saddledome means different things to different people depending on which era they used this infrastructure. People around for the 1988 Olympics associate it with being an Olympic building. In contrast, a younger generation may associate it with being the home of the Calgary Flames. Furthermore, the Saddledome "encodes the dreams of individuals and societies and are the vehicles whereby those fantasies are transmitted and made emotionally real" by allowing people to experience their fantasies, hockey games or concerts, in real life [17] . It is common for young Canadian boys and grown men to dream of playing in the NHL. The Saddledome allows these men and boys to experience a night that provides them with a glimpse of what it would be like to have this dream come true.
Studying the Saddledome is a process that focuses on the actual building itself and the social and cultural events that take place within it. The Saddledome can be explained in relation to Larkin's definition of infrastructure, which was mentioned above, highlighting how infrastructure goes beyond its concrete walls and deeper into what takes place within these walls. It sees thousands of individuals flowing in and out after watching entertainment, entertainers, athletes, employees such as security, ticket checkers, merchandise sellers, etc. There is the sale of goods during these events, whether it be food or merchandise. Attendees exchange their monetary means for cultural experiences, which they value more than economic value; there is also the exchange of employees' time in exchange for money. Presently, this infrastructure is home to many: the Calgary Flames, fans, sound and lighting technicians, and serves as a venue for artists and performers. Many parts go into creating the atmosphere and experience within the Saddledome. One Calgary Flames game requires a large team of staff for ticketing, food and drink, information, and a production team for intermission entertainment and event coordination, only to name a few. Yet, these parts often go unnoticed as the spectator views the entirety of the event itself and not its processes.
Comparing Calgary and the Saddledome to Montreal and Vancouver
Many reasons could explain why Calgary is not a major Canadian city today. However, the city has more than a million citizens. Calgary is the most populous city in Alberta and the third most populous city in Canada after Toronto and Montreal[18]. Jacqueline Kennelly's 'You're making our city look bad': Olympic security, neoliberal urbanization, and homeless youth" discusses the impact hosting an Olympic Games can have on a city, primarily focusing on the aftermath of hosting the games prematurely. Kennelly mainly focuses her article on the ramifications of the Vancouver (2010) and London (2012) Olympic Games. She dives into comparing the Games and explains each city's form of neoliberalism urbanization. This could be considered relatable to the Saddledome as from our past meetings. It has been evident that Calgary isn't considered a 'major' city in Canada. So, why is Calgary called a "big, small town" or a "small, big city" despite the Saddledome? The lack of attraction the Saddledome receives is evident, despite its central downtown location. As most areas are located on the outskirts of a city, the Saddledome is geographically convenient for downtown Calgary. People can easily access it through Calgary's LRT (Light Rail Transit) system. It is only a 20-minute drive from the Calgary International Airport. Therefore, the fact that the Saddledome doesn't get as much attention despite its location is undoubtedly concerning. The arena's exterior is bland, as it displays nothing too exciting for tourists. This could be why the Saddledome lacks attraction; the architecture is boring. The partial reason famous arenas gain attraction is their architecture, such as Miami's FTX arena or the landscape of Tampa's Amalie Arena. Or another example is the Rogers Centre in Toronto, as directly next to it is the CN tower which will ultimately draw mass attractions.
Like many Olympic' Host Cities', many stadiums and other resources have been built specifically for the games. Plenty of ramifications is placed to levitate the city's status to a "global scale." For example, Vancouver went through many consequences in response to the Olympic Games, as affordable housing was erased, increased policing, etc.[19] Additionally, many of the arenas constructed for the Olympics remain expensive due to their size or specific nature. The city of Vancouver went through many changes before hosting the Olympics. This makes one wonder whether Calgary went through much difference from the birth of the Saddledome for the 1988 Olympics, as the Saddledome was created five years prior[20]. What changes were made to the city before the birth of the Saddledome and the Olympics? Would Calgary be considered similar in this aspect or different? I think Calgary and Vancouver are both not large enough cities to hold such an event. Looking at Montreal's 1976 Olympics, the games lead to severe economic deficiencies. The Montreal Olympic Stadium is nicknamed the "big owe" since it cost roughly 3 billion to build when the initial cost was estimated to be 148 million[21]. Montrealer's hatred towards this infrastructure stems from the fact that the city and its citizen had to pay for its debt for 30 years[22]. Therefore, the wishes of turning Calgary into a metropolis and launching the city on the international scene did not necessarily come true with the Olympic games. Hosting the games is a waste of money for the town once the excitement dies down. All in all, it's interesting how these cities are trying to boost the status of their city by hosting the games while the citizens of the city themselves pay the price.
What is the Saddledome Used for now?
In the post-1988 Calgary Olympics era, Olympic ties to the Saddledome have been all but severed. After the naming rights of the Olympic Saddledome were sold to corporate interests, its name changed several times when it finally became the Scotiabank Saddledome in 2010[23]. The Saddledome has favoured promoting its connections to the NHL over its Olympic history in recent years. The Calgary Flames and the National Hockey League presence get considerable media exposure, which keeps the stadium involved in local pop culture[24]. Despite this, the stadium's Olympic origins are rarely mentioned, which points to the irrelevance of the games.
Further evidence of this point can be found in the city's stadium promotion. The iconic outline of the Saddledome in the Calgary skyline is often featured in tourism promotion material. Still, it is presented as a site of the NHL rather than an Olympic facility[25]. This could be partly because, according to even the original architect of the Calgary Saddledome, it no longer provides adequate amenities to host an Olympic Games. The stadium's perceived shortcomings were the main roadblock in following through on a bid for Calgary to host the 2026 Olympic Games[26]. However, according to its website, the Scotiabank Saddledome prides itself on being Calgary's entertainment hub, seating over 19,000 fans and hosting upwards of 150 events per year[27]. Many Calgarians disagree that the Saddledome is the cultural and entertainment hub[28]. The Saddledome "does not adequately support the business that needs to go around it," leading many to believe it is on the road to obsolescence[29]. The Saddledome doesn't align with Brian Larkin's ideas about the successful infrastructure that allows the successful flow of individuals and culture[30]. Another roadblock in its ability to become a city's cultural centre is that the Saddledome is used for primarily ticketed events. Concerts in hockey games can be pretty expensive, which means the entertainment the Saddledome provides is limited to a small specific section of the population[31]. There were plans and development to reconstruct the Saddledome to modernize it and address some of these underlying issues[32]. The project was estimated to cost around $550 million, which would have been split equally between the city and the CSEC, with construction beginning as early as 2021 with a three-year project schedule[33]. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, construction was delayed. The number of significant events that the dome can host has significantly decreased. The small number of concerts and award shows the stadium typically hosted have been mainly cancelled due to the pandemic. Still, hockey games for the NHL Calgary Flames, the WHL's Calgary Hitmen and the NLL's Calgary Roughnecks continue.
Sources
[1] Bobrowski, Jan. Calgary's Olympic Saddledome. International Journal of Space Structures, vol. 1, no. 113 - 26. Published March 1st 1985. Sage Journals. 13.
[2] Building Information, Scotiabank Saddledome. January 1st 2019. Accessed March 26th 2022.
[3] Bobrowski, Jan. Calgary's Olympic Saddledome.14.
[4] Bobrowski, Jan. Calgary's Olympic Saddledome.14-15.
[5] Gamble, Adrian. Taking a Look Back at the Olympic Saddledome, Skyrise Calgary . April 20th 2017. Accessed March 26th 2022. https://calgary.skyrisecities.com/news/2017/04/taking-look-back-olympic-saddledome.
[6] Lewis, Ryan Franklyn Whamond. Stampede Park(ing). 1 - 93. Published January 1st 2018. Carleton University. 15.
[7] Lewis, Ryan Franklyn Whamond. Stampede Park(ing). 15.
[8] Hiller, Harry. Post-event Outcomes and the Post-modern Turn: The Olympics and Urban Transformations. European Sport Management Quarterly, vol. 6, no. 4317 - 332. Published January 1st 2007. 10.1080/16184740601154458. 319,322.
[9]Lewis, Ryan Franklyn Whamond. Stampede Park(ing). 23.
[10] Hiller, Harry. Post-event Outcomes and the Post-modern Turn: The Olympics and Urban Transformations. 328.
[11] Dippel, Scott . Blowing Down the Saddledome and Building a New Victoria Park, CBC. January 27th 2018. Accessed March 26th 2022. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/victoria-park-redevelopment-cmlc-1.4504422.
[12] Larkin, Brian. The Politics and Poetics of Infrastructure. Annual Review of Anthropology , ser. 43, vol. 42, no. 327328 - 339. Published August 2nd 2013.
[13] Hiller, Harry. Post-event Outcomes and the Post-modern Turn: The Olympics and Urban Transformations. 317.
[14] Hiller, Harry. Post-event Outcomes and the Post-modern Turn: The Olympics and Urban Transformations. 321.
[15] Hiller, Harry. Post-event Outcomes and the Post-modern Turn: The Olympics and Urban Transformations. 323.
[16] Larkin, Brian. The Politics and Poetics of Infrastructure. Annual Review of Anthropology. 332.
[17] Larkin, Brian. The Politics and Poetics of Infrastructure. Annual Review of Anthropology. 333.
[18] Moreau, Nick. Largest Cities in Canada by Population, The Canadian Encyclopedia. September 28th 2021. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/largest-cities-in-canada-by-population.
[19] Kennelly, Jacqueline. 'You're making our city look bad': Olympic Security, neoliberal urbanization, and homeless youth. Ethnography, ser. 24, vol. 16(1), no. 33 - 24. Published January 1st 2015. 10.1177/1466138113513526. 16.
[20] Kennelly, Jacqueline. 'You're making our city look bad': Olympic Security, neoliberal urbanization, and homeless youth. 5.
[21] Charles, Morgan Julia. Shaping Time in the City: A Cultural History of Concrete Modernity in Montreal, 1903-2015. Dissertation, McGill University Libraries, 2016. 168.
[22] Charles, Morgan Julia. Shaping Time in the City. 169.
[23] Hiller, Harry. Post-event Outcomes and the Post-modern Turn: The Olympics and Urban Transformations. 325.
[24] Hiller, Harry. Post-event Outcomes and the Post-modern Turn: The Olympics and Urban Transformations. 325.
[25] Hiller, Harry. Post-event Outcomes and the Post-modern Turn: The Olympics and Urban Transformations. 325.
[26] Edmunds, David. The Saddledome + Calgary 2026 Olympics, The Sprawl. February 18th 2018. Accessed March 26th 2022. https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/the-saddledome-2026-calgary-olympics-6151de051e40.
[27] Hiller, Harry. Post-event Outcomes and the Post-modern Turn: The Olympics and Urban Transformations. 328.
[28] Charles, Morgan Julia. Shaping Time in the City. 182.
[29] Freehill, Lexi. The Saddledome + Calgary 2026 Olympics Relationship Status: it's complicated , The Sprawl. February 13th 2018. Accessed March 26th 2022.
[30] Larkin, Brian. The Politics and Poetics of Infrastructure. Annual Review of Anthropology. 332.
[31] Hiller, Harry. Post-event Outcomes and the Post-modern Turn: The Olympics and Urban Transformations. 326.
[32] Ryan Leslie explains how the Flames are getting closer to having a new arena built in Calgary. Performed by Ryan Leslie. Canada. Sports Net, 2019. https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/tentative-agreement-struck-replace-calgarys-saddledome/. -0:24.
[33] Leslie, Ryan. Ryan Leslie explains how the Flames are getting closer to having a new arena built in Calgary. -0:45
"Calgary Neighbourhoods Map 2021: Illustrated Map of Calgary Communities". Quadreal. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.quadrealres.com/illustrated-calgary-map.aspx.
Gamble, Adrian. "Saddledome under Construction in 1982". "Taking a Look Back at the Olympic Saddledome". SkyriseCities, April 20, 2017. https://calgary.skyrisecities.com/news/2017/04/taking-look-back-olympic-saddledome.
Klaszus, Jeremy. "Saddledome Promotional Material, 1983.". "A Little Perspective On The Arena Deal.". The Sprawl, January 15, 2022. https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/a-little-perspective-on-the-arena-deal.
Flannery , Jim. "Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary Flames". Stadium Journey, April 24, 2019. https://www.stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/scotiabank-saddledome-s51.
Wiscombe, Jordan Kurio. Reddit, October 24, 2020. https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comments/jh8vuk/took_a_pic_of_the_calgary_saddledome_2nd_oldest/.
McIntosh, Jeff. "How Flames Plan to Best Replicate in-Game Saddledome Experience.". Sportsnet, April 13, 2019. https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/flames-plan-best-replicate-game-saddledome-experience/.