United States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area | |
 Cadet Chapel | |
   | |
| Nearest city | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°00′29″N104°53′24″W / 39.008°N 104.89°W /39.008; -104.89 |
| Area | 25 acres (10 ha) (landmarked area) |
| Built | 1958; 67 years ago (1958) |
| Architect | Walter Netsch, Jr.Skidmore, Owings & Merrill |
| Architectural style | Modern |
| NRHP reference No. | 04000484 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 1, 2004 |
| Designated NHLD | April 1, 2004[1] |
TheUnited States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area is a portion of theUnited States Air Force Academy nearColorado Springs, Colorado.Its use ofmodern architecture stands in contrast with the very traditional designs ofWest Point and theUnited States Naval Academy.It was designated aNational Historic Landmark District in 2004 for its landscape, architecture, and historic importance as a military academy.[2]
The buildings in the Cadet Area were designed in a distinct, modernist style, and make extensive use ofaluminum on building exteriors, suggesting the outer skin of aircraft or spacecraft. Theelevation is approximately 7,200 feet (2,190 m) abovesea level.
The main buildings in the Cadet Area are set around a large, square pavilion known asThe Terrazzo. The name comes from the fact that the walkways are made ofterrazzo tiles, set among a checkerboard of marble strips. The east quarter of the Terrazzo, known as the"Air Gardens," is a 700-foot-long (210 m) space with an ordered geometry of lighted pools, lowered grass sections and maze-like walkways. The Terrazzo area was designed by landscape architectDan Kiley.
The center of the Cadet Area was originally a wooded, sloping hill that extended from the middle of the Terrazzo south to the valley below, creating a blend of natural and man-made environments.[3] With the building of Sijan Hall on the south side of the Terrazzo in 1968, the Terrazzo area was effectively enclosed into a largequadrangle, and this natural part of the landscape was eliminated. Only the top of the hill, now known as"Spirit Hill", remains in the central grassy area of the Terrazzo.
The most recognizable building in the Cadet Area is the 17-spiredCadet Chapel. The subject of controversy when built, it is now considered among the most beautiful examples of modern American academic architecture.[citation needed] The structure consists of 100 identical aluminum tetrahedrons, with colored glass in the spaces between the tetrahedrons. The chapel reaches a height of150 feet (46 m), with an overall length of280 feet (85 m) and a width of84 feet (26 m).
ArchitectWalter Netsch said he was inspired in his design by theSainte-Chapelle cathedral inParis, theCathedral of Chartres and theBasilica of San Francesco d'AssisiinItaly.[3][4]Built on two levels, the upper portion houses a1,300-seat multi-denominationProtestant chapel; downstairs are a500-seatCatholic chapel, a100-seatJewish chapel, and interfaith rooms used for services of other religions.
Cadets live in two dormitories,Vandenberg Hall andSijan Hall. The former is the original dormitory and honors GeneralHoyt Vandenberg, theChief of Staff of the Air Force from 1948 to 1953. Sijan Hall was built on the south side of the Cadet Area in 1968, in order to accommodate the expansion of the Cadet Wing to a strength of 4,417 cadets. Known simply as the "New Dorm"[5] until its dedication on May 31, 1976, it was named after CaptainLance Sijan '65, the first USAFA graduate to be awarded theMedal of Honor.
Several buildings in the Cadet Area are used for academics.Fairchild Hall, named after GeneralMuir S. Fairchild, the first commander ofAir University and later Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, is the main academic building. Fairchild Hall houses academic classrooms, laboratories, research facilities, faculty offices. TheRobert F. McDermott Library is a separate building.
TheAeronautics Research Center (also known as the "Aero Lab") is just south of Fairchild Hall and contains numerous aeronautical research facilities, including transonic, subsonic, low speed and cascadewind tunnels, engine and rocket test cellsand simulators.[6]
TheConsolidated Education and Training Facility (CETF) was built in 1997 as an annex to Fairchild Hall. It contains chemistry and biology classrooms and labs, medical and dental clinics and civil engineering and astronautics laboratories. The Cadet Area also contains an observatory and a planetarium for academic use.
Mitchell Hall, named after air power pioneer Brigadier GeneralWilliam "Billy" Mitchell, is the cadet dining facility, which has the ability to feed the entire Cadet Wing at one time.
The cadet social center isArnold Hall, named afterGeneral of the Air ForceHenry H. "Hap" Arnold, commanding general of theU.S. Army Air Forces duringWorld War II. Arnold Hall is located just outside the Cadet Area and houses a 3,000-seat theater, ballroom, and a number of lounge and recreation facilities for cadets and visitors.
Harmon Hall is the primary administration building, which houses the offices of theSuperintendent and supporting staff. It is named after Lieutenant GeneralHubert R. Harmon, the academy's firstsuperintendent(1954–1956).
The Cadet Area also contains extensive facilities for use by cadets participating in intercollegiate athletics, intramural athletics, physical education classes and other physical training. Set amid numerous outdoor athletic fields, theCadet Gymnasium contains basketball gyms, indoor tennis courts, an Olympic-size swimming and diving pool, a water polo pool, numerous squash and racquetball courts, two weight-training rooms with state-of-the-art equipment and specialized facilities for volleyball, fencing, gymnastics, boxing, and the rifle team. The gymnasium also houses a human performance laboratory complete withhydrostatic weighing equipment, sports psychology and vision testing capabilities and aerobic testing equipment, including an elevation chamber.
TheCadet Fieldhouse contains the 6,000-seatClune Arena (named after long-time USAFA Director of Athletics ColonelJohn J. Clune), a 2,600-seatice hockey rink and an indoor track that doubles as a practice facility for a number of sports throughout the year.
Located in:Air Force Academy, Colorado | ||
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