A recent report by the U.K based construction supply firm Buildworld listed the Alamodome as the ninth-ugliest building in the United States and the sixteenth-ugliest building in the world.
Writer Michael Karlis, in his 2023 article for San Antonio Current, “San Antonio’s Alamodome Ranked Among World’s Ugliest Buildings”, writes, “Buildworld came up with its list by searching tweets for terms criticizing the design of world landmarks. According to the report, 13.23% of people who tweeted about the Alamodome’s design found it ugly.”The Alamodome was the only Texas building to make either list.
The Alamodome opened its doors in 1993, under the premise that San Antonio would have a football team to compete on the same level as the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. Since then, the Alamodome has stood as a landmark of the Alamo City, next to both the Alamo itself and the Tower of Americas . From being featured in feature films such as the 1996 sports comedy film Eddie and the 1997 musical biopic Selena to hosting several concerts, high school graduations, and athletic events, there is no doubt that the Alamodome has claimed its place in San Antonio history and culture. With that said, one wonders why it has become such a source of irritation.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the San Antonio Spurs basketball team being in San Antonio, a “Back Home in the Dome” special anniversary game against the Golden State Warriors was held in the Alamodome. This game took place on Friday January 13th, 2023 and was the first Spurs game to be held in the Alamodome since 2002. Special guests included Mayor Ron Nirenberg, recently elected Bexar County Judge Sakai, and San Antonio Spurs alums David Robinson and Sean Elliott.
Writer Scott Cacciola, in his 2023 article for The New York Times, “The Spurs Return to the Alamodome for a Record-Breaking Anniversary Party”, writes, “For nine seasons, from 1993 to 2002, the Spurs played their home games at the Alamodome, a cavernous structure just east of downtown San Antonio… On Friday, the Spurs celebrated their 50th anniversary by returning to the Alamodome for the first time in decades — and they went big. They plopped the court smack dab in the middle of the lower level and opened the doors to 68,323 fans, setting a single-game N.B.A. attendance record in the process.”
Up until this point, the San Antonio Spurs had abandoned the Alamodome for its counterpart the AT&T Center, which opened in 2002 under the name SBC Center. In the time since, the Alamodome has hosted UTSA football games and numerous concerts and competitions. It seems rather confusing that after millions of dollars and thousands of people were displaced so that the Alamodome could be constructed, only for a new arena a few blocks away to become the new home of the 5 time NBA championship team.
The opinion of what merit the Alamodome holds varies by a matter of opinion, however it is almost impossible to ignore the controversial conundrum of a 64,000 arena – a one time beacon of San Antonio pride – now a polarizing symbol of time past.
