Palacio de los Deportes
Palacio de los Deportes (English: Palace of Sports) is an indoor arena located in Mexico City, Mexico. It is within the Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City complex, near the Mexico City International Airport and in front of the Foro Sol, in which sports and artistic events are also celebrated. It is operated by Grupo CIE. Opened in 1968, the arena seats 20,000 and the overall capacity is approximately 26,000.
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 Exterior shot of Palacio de los Deportes | |
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| Location | Mexico City, Mexico |
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| Coordinates | 19°24′19″N 99°5′59″W |
| Owner | Mexico City's Government |
| Operator | Grupo CIE |
| Capacity | 20,000 in arena mode, 26,000 in concert hall mode. |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 15 October 1966 |
| Built | September 1968 |
| Opened | 8 October 1968 |
| Architect |
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| Tenants | |
| Mexico City Aztecas (CBA) (1994–1995) Mexico Toros (CISL) (1995) | |
Construction
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, Enrique Castañeda Tamborel and Antonio Peyri, 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. There is a smaller pavilion for expositions and concerts.
Events
The venue opened on 8 October 1968 with a performance by Maurice Béjart's Ballet of the 20th Century.[1]
Sports
It hosted the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games for the competitions of basketball and can be used to host volleyball and basketball matches. It was the home of the CBA Mexico City Aztecas in 1994 and 1995, and the Mexico Toros of the CISL in 1995. On 6 December 1997 hosted the NBA's regular season game between the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks, which ended with a 108-106 score.
Concerts
Another common use is to host big expositions and rock or pop concerts. These are the most representative and important shows, as there have been more than 400 concerts held here throughout the years.
References
- "Palacio de los Deportes, legado de los Olímpicos del 68". El Financiero. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Palacio de los Deportes (México). |
- Homepage
- 1968 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 2. Part 1. p. 72.
- Luis Castañeda, "Image-Machine: Félix Candela's Palacio de los Deportes", article in Pidgin Magazine
| Preceded by Ginásio do Ibirapuera São Paulo |
FIBA Intercontinental Cup Final Venue 1974 |
Succeeded by Palasport Pianella Cucciago, Cantù |
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