This is a 141′ diameter dome that was design/built for Chrysler Corporation’s new Technology Center in Pontiac, MI. The photo shows the assembly of a prototype section built for review by Lee Iaccoca and other Chrysler executives. The facility is a styling dome that replaces one built 20 years ago but with better technology and the addressing of the acoustical needs with perforated panels.

The dome strut is a 4″ aluminum I-beam form with hexagonal shaped panels suspended from the inside to crate a perfectly spherical surface – all jointed with no unsightly overlaps. The Conservatek Team has developed a new section of our STAR*CAD program expressly designed for panel layout optimization. It provides the cutting pattern for panels cut within 0.005 of an inch.

Client: Chrysler Motors Corp., Pontiac, MI
Architect: CRSS, Houston, TX
Engineer: CRSS, Houston, TX
Contractor: Walbridge Aldinger, Livonia, MI