JMA Dome (formerly Carrier Dome) at Syracuse University

The first and still the only covered stadium in New York State - is a 50,000-seat multipurpose domed stadium. Since its opening in 1980 it has served not only the university’s athletics department but also the campus and the greater Syracuse community through hosting a myriad of events. The stadium recently underwent a dramatic renovation featuring a new cable truss roof structure to replace the original air-supported dome. Geiger Engineers designed and engineered the new roof and led the project design team. In addition to the roof replacement, the project included a new sound system, sports lighting, a center hung video scoreboard, and air-conditioning for the stadium facility. The new roof is a first-of-its-kind cable truss supported on an external steel crown truss which in turn rests on the existing concrete ring-beam of the original air-supported roof. Covering an area of 23,250 m2 (250,000 ft2), the new roof’s cladding comprises a central tension membrane surrounded by rigid panels developed to take advantage of the structural geometry of the original air-supported roof. Whereas the original roof necessitated active removal and/or melting of snow before it could accumulate, the new structure is designed to support more than 6,350,00 kg (7,000 tons) of snow while still providing natural daylighting of the facility.