Eero Saarinen’s David S. Ingalls Rink at Yale University is characterized by an unusually long span, organized around a single structural idea: a longitudinal concrete catenary spine that supports a cable-tensioned timber roof, creating a clear, uninterrupted rink hall. The building translates structural behavior into spatial order, shaping the entry sequence, the spectator bowl, and the perimeter concourse through an explicit reciprocity of tension and compression.
David S. Ingalls Rink Technical Information
- Architects: Eero Saarinen & Associates
- Location: 73 Sachem St, New Haven, CT, United States
- Project Years: 1953 – 1958
- Photographs: Flick Users, See Caption Details
Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context.
– Eero Saarinen
David S. Ingalls Rink Photographs
Structural Spine and Cable-Net Logic
A single reinforced-concrete catenary arch spans the length of the rink, serving as the compressive backbone. From this spine, a fan of steel cables is tensioned to the perimeter, suspending a thin timber roof deck that functions primarily as a continuous diaphragm in bending. The arrangement clarifies the load path: gravity loads move from the timber deck into the cable net, then into the concrete spine in compression, with lateral components resolved at the perimeter anchorage.
The tension–compression reciprocity eliminates interior columns, enabling a large span with a low-mass enclosure. Cable spacing establishes a readable module across the ceiling, which in turn governs the placement of lighting, acoustic treatment, and services. Fixtures sit within the interstices of the net, maintaining downward illumination while protecting the ice from glare. The result is a roof that reads simultaneously as structure, ceiling, and infrastructure scaffold.
Spatial Sequence and Spectator Experience
Low, sweeping eaves compress the approach and entry, setting a horizontal datum that intensifies the release into the main volume. Crossing the concourse, the spectator encounters the longitudinal arch as a continuous reference line that organizes movement, seating, and sightlines. The arch’s visibility makes orientation intuitive, guiding circulation along the length of the rink and framing the central void.
The bowl is calibrated to provide uninterrupted views of the ice, benefiting from the absence of vertical supports and the clarity of the structural system. A warm timber soffit tempers the acoustics and scale, while controlled daylight at the perimeter washes the concourse without directly striking the ice. Indirect lighting strategies, nested between cable lines, reduce specular reflections and preserve contrast at ice level, which is essential for both players and spectators.
Form, Site, and Campus Mediation
The building’s biomorphic silhouette is an explicit reading of its structural behavior rather than a sculptural overlay. The catenary profile of the spine and the cable-fanned roof generate a roofline that dips at the perimeter and rises at the center, transforming engineering constraints into a legible form. The envelope tightens around these forces, resisting volumetric excess and lending the arena a clear structural expression at the scale of the campus.
At ground level, low perimeter edges and a transparent concourse band maintain visual continuity with adjacent streets and open spaces, reducing the apparent bulk of the long span. Set along the edge of a primary campus, the rink operates as a pavilion within the landscape. Its lowered eaves temper the building’s presence at the pedestrian scale, while the elevated central vault acknowledges its civic role within the university’s public life.
Construction, Detailing, and Performance
Construction proceeds in a didactic sequence that mirrors the load path: the concrete arch is cast and stabilized, the steel cable net is tensioned from the spine to the perimeter anchors, and the timber roof deck is laid as a continuous surface. This choreography reveals how the system works and simplifies quality control, since deflections and tensions can be measured and adjusted before enclosure. The roof deck then locks the assembly as a diaphragm, distributing in-plane forces and improving overall stiffness.
Connections at the perimeter resolve both thrust and shear and are expressed to remain inspectable, acknowledging the long-term need to monitor cable tension and structural movement. Environmental control is tailored to the specific requirements of an ice surface, where condensation is managed through stable air stratification, targeted dehumidification, and limited direct solar gain. The compact enclosure, calibrated apertures, and low-mass roof help stabilize temperature swings and minimize radiant asymmetry over the ice, aligning environmental performance with the architectural logic of the span.
David S. Ingalls Rink Plans
David S. Ingalls Rink Image Gallery
About Eero Saarinen & Associates
Founded in 1950 and based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Eero Saarinen & Associates was an influential American architectural firm led by the Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen. Known for its innovative use of structural systems and sculptural forms, the studio approached architecture as the complete integration of function, structure, and form. Saarinen’s work championed expressive engineering and seamless total design, often collaborating closely with engineers and other specialists to achieve technically ambitious and visually iconic buildings.
Credits and Additional Notes
- Structural engineers: Fred Severud
- Client: Yale University
- Construction company: J. A. Torrence, Inc.
- Research references or publications: Carol Herselle Krinsky, “Eero Saarinen”
