Monona Terrace Convention & Community Center
Madison, Wisconsin
In 1938, Madison city officials announced plans for an auditorium and convention center. At the request of a group of residents, and amid much controversy, Frank Lloyd Wright drew the plans that would inspire the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. Its unusual design, location in the downtown area, and cantilevered configuration over Lake Monona presented unique problems that designers and construction crews needed to resolve as the building took shape. 112,000 square feet of architectural precast concrete and more than 1,300 precast concrete pieces, ranging in size from 8 to 60 feet long, were used in the construction of the building. Lighter weight glass fiber reinforced concrete was used on the cantilevered arches at lake elevation, where weight restrictions were critical.
The result was a remarkable 250,000 square foot, semicircular building, the center of which features floor-to-ceiling windows in a structure extending 90 feet over the waters of Lake Monona. The Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center is a monument to the vision of one of the world’s most prominent architects.
Architects: Taliesin Architects, Ltd., Madison, WI with Potter Lawson Architects, Madison, WI
Precast manufacturer: International Concrete Products, Germantown, WI
Awards: 1998 Architectural Precast Association’s Award for Design & Manufacturing Excellence
Photographer: Hedrich Blessing
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