Shoulders to the wheel at LDS assembly hall
Deseret News 30Jan99
By Ray Boren: Deseret News staff writer

and

Mighty fortress
Deseret News 30Jan99
By Ray Boren: Deseret News staff writer

The LDS Church's new assembly buidling is growing, and is nearly all enclosed, according to this article in the Deseret News. The building is scheduled to be completed on April 1, 2000, just in time for April General Conference of that year.

The last of 10 roof-supporting trusses is expected to be put in place this week, according to Gary Holland, construction manager for the project. The granite panels meant to cover the exterior walls are already being hung in place, and precast concrete risers on which the 21,000 seats will be installed, are being placed inside the building.

The building will be one-of-a-kind, according to the project's architect, Kerry B. Nielsen. "We did our homework, this will be the largest auditorium on the planet that we know of." Nielsen does not include arenas, such as the Delta Center in Salt Lake or New York's Madison Square Garden. The closest auditorium that Nielsen knows of is one in Mexico City that seats 10,000 people.

Originally, the building was planned to house 30,000 people, but because it became unruly architecturally, it was scaled down, first to 26,000 people, then to 21,000 people. Like the current Tabernacle, the Assembly Hall will feature an unobstructed view from all seats. There will not be any roof-supporting pillars.

"A 747 could fit in the hall, nose to tail and wing to wing," Holland said. "You could probably fit two of them," if they were arranged just right, he added.

Outside, the building will have a single spire, and rooftop gardens, which will cover four acres. "The space on top of this building is unprecedented," said Nielsen.

"This will be one of the most gorgeous buildings in the state," Holland predicted.

The accompanying article includes statistics about the building.