Large structures like these tend to fit into some basic forms and rarely if ever are built in a manner that does not fit one of those forms or
categories. For example some of the architectural forms being used in the modern era are: parking ramp, stadiums - domed & open, warehouse, office &
apartment building, civic center, casino, bridge, antenna, dam, water tower, house of worship, grain silo, convention center, theater, amphitheater,
shopping mall, ice palace, Ferris wheel, oil refinery, space needle, wall, paper mill, wind farm, HARP array, barn, particle accelerator, greenhouse,
radio telescope.
OK class, can anyone else think of any other basic architectural forms of large structures to add to this list and while your at it can anyone come up
with any basic architectural form that these domed structures fit? I sure can't and while I haven't perused this entire thread I've yet to come
across anyone who has matched these domed structures with any of the existing general architectural forms or categories.
I would agree that the closest match is a water tower but as another poster pointed out having a road run up it doesn't make sense from an engineering
standpoint given the extra amount of structural support that would no doubt be needed to support vehicular traffic. That could be why no known water
towers have roads running up their sides but instead do the sensible thing and simply run pipes to the tower's base where if needed vehicles can drive
up to and access.
edit on 10-6-2011 by QtheQ because: I thought of and added more architectural forms but alas, still none that the domes in
question will fit into.