- United States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area
Infobox nrhp2
name = United States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area
nhl = yes
caption = Cadet Chapel
location =
nearest_city =Colorado Springs, Colorado
lat_degrees = 39
lat_minutes = 00
lat_seconds = 30
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 104
long_minutes = 53
long_seconds = 25.5
long_direction = W
locmapin = Colorado
area =
built = 1958
architect = Walter Netsch, Jr.Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
architecture = Modern
designated_nhl=April 1 ,2004 cite web |url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1086183845&ResourceType=District |title=United States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area |accessdate=2007-10-16 |work=National Historic Landmark summary listing |publisher=National Park Service]
added =April 1 ,2004
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
refnum = 04000484
mpsub =
governing_body =The United States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area is a portion of the
United States Air Force Academy inColorado Springs, Colorado . It is notable for its use ofmodern architecture as compared to the very traditional design ofWest Point andAnnapolis . It was designated aNational Historic Landmark in 2004 [http://www.cr.nps.gov/nhl/designations/samples/co/USAFA.pdf John H. Sprinkle, Ed., NHL Nomination Study, US Air Force Academy, Apr. 1, 2004] ]The buildings in the Cadet Area were designed in a distinct, modernist style, and make extensive use of
aluminum on building exteriors, suggesting the outer skin of aircraft or spacecraft.The Terrazzo
The main buildings in the Cadet Area are set around a large, square pavilion known as The Terrazzo. The name comes from the fact that the walkways are made of
terrazzo tiles, set among a checkerboard of marble strips. The east quarter of the Terrazzo, known as the "Air Gardens," is a 700-foot long 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. 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.Cadet Chapel
The most recognizable building in the Cadet Area is the 17-spired Cadet Chapel. The subject of controversy when it was first built, it is now considered among the most beautiful examples of modern American academic architecture. The structure consists of 100 identical aluminum tetrahedrons, with colored glass in the spaces between the tetrahedrons. The chapel reaches a height of 150 feet, with an overall length of 280 feet and a width of 84 feet. Architect
Walter Netsch said he was inspired in his design by theSainte-Chapelle cathedral in Paris, theCathedral of Chartres and theBasilica of San Francesco d'Assisi in Italy.Elizabeth Gill Lui, "Spirit and Flight: A Photographic Salute to the United States Air Force Academy," 1996. (ISBN 0–9652585–0-5).] The Cadet Chapel is built on two levels. The upstairs portion houses a 1,300 seat multi-denominationProtestant chapel; downstairs are a 500-seat Catholic chapel, a 100-seatJewish chapel and interfaith rooms used for services of other religions.Dormitories
Cadets live in two dormitories, Vandenberg Hall and Sijan Hall. Vandenberg Hall, named after Air Force Chief of Staff General
Hoyt S. Vandenberg , was the original cadet dormitory. 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" [For several years it was a popular joke that the building had in fact been named after Madame Nhu, a well-known personality of the time.] until its dedication onMay 31 ,1976 , it was named after CaptainLance Sijan '65, the first USAFA graduate to be awarded theMedal of Honor .Academic Buildings
Several buildings in the Cadet Area are used for academics. Fairchild Hall, named after General
Muir S. Fairchild , the first commander of Air 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 and theRobert F. McDermott Library.The Aeronautics 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 cascade
wind tunnel s, engine and rocket test cells and simulators. [ [http://www.usafa.af.mil/df/dfan/research_centers/aero_research_center.cfm USAFA Department of Aeronautics, Aero Research Center, accessed on Mar. 21, 2007.] ]The Consolidated 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.
Dining and Entertainment Facilities
Mitchell Hall, named after air power pioneer Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell, is the cadet dining facility, which has the ability to feed the entire Cadet Wing at one time.
The cadet social center is Arnold Hall, named after
General of the Air Force Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, commanding general of theUnited States Army Air Forces duringWorld War II . Arnold Hall houses a 3000-seat theater, a ballroom and a number of lounge and recreation facilities for cadets and visitors.Administration Building
Harmon Hall is the primary administration building, which houses the offices of the Superintendent and the Superintendent's staff. It is named after Lieutenant General
Hubert R. Harmon , the first Superintendent of the Academy.ports Facilities
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, the Cadet 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 and boxing. The gymnasium also houses a human performance laboratory complete with hydrostatic weighing equipment, sports psychology and vision testing capabilities and aerobic testing equipment.
The Cadet Fieldhouse contains the 6000-seat
Clune Arena (named after long-time USAFA Director of Athletics ColonelJohn J. Clune ), a 2600-seat ice hockey rink and an indoor track that doubles as a practice facility for a number of sports throughout the year. "References
External links
* [http://www.usafa.af.mil/ Official Site]
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