Ovens Auditorium and the Charlotte Coliseum

Ovens Auditorium is located on East Independence Boulevard. Conpletedin 1955, it was named  for outspoken civic leader David Ovens (1872-1957),  the leader of the auditorium-coliseum citizen planning committee. The 2,600-seat auditorium adjoins the Charlotte Coliseum, which also opened in 1955. At one time, the building had the world's largest unsupported concrete dome.  The 208,400-square-foot Charlotte Coliseum featured nearly 10,000 seats. At the time of construction, it was the largest unsupported steel dome in the world, spanning just over 332 feet wide and 112 feet high. After the second coliesum on Tyvola Road opened in 1988,  yhe old coliesum was renamed Independence Arena. Today it is known know as the Bojangles Coliesum.

Color by C.H. Ruth