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  Chicago Underground Practice
Picture
On Thursday night September 20, 1973, Billie Jean King rode into the Astrodome like Cleopatra on a crimson-draped litter before a crowd of 30,472, 
for a $100,000 winner take all tennis match against Bobby Riggs. 
She rode out the King of Texas.

Sports are a microcosm of society.
Three years earlier on September 23, 1970, women’s professional tennis was born in Houston when nine players, called the Original 9 and led by Billie Jean King, signed symbolic $1 contracts. Howard Cosell wore a tuxedo to announce the ABC broadcast of “Battle of the Sexes”, live from the Astrodome on September 20, 1973. One of Cosell’s favorite sayings was, “What is popular isn’t always right, and what is right isn’t always popular”. Billie Jean King epitomized Cosell’s aphorism by demonstrating women’s equality to a worldwide television audience of approximately 90 million people in 37 countries. ( a larger audience than both the 1973 & 1974 Super Bowls. )

During the time-span of this competition, a very unique anniversary for the Astrodome (09.20.2013) passed without being adequately celebrated.
This project physically represents the 40th anniversary of September 20, 1973 as a pivotal moment in earning respect and awareness for gender equality as a universal freedom. In other words, the most historically noteworthy event that ever took place in the Astrodome was a battle, a “Battle of the Sexes”.

Billie Jean King and the Original 9 used tennis as a platform for social change.
The Original 9 set a path for others, which can be described as celestial, therefore, the Astrodome site will now symbolically represent their return to the city of Houston. During the same year as the “Battle of the Sexes” in the Astrodome, the U.S. Open became the first grand slam tennis event to offer equal prize money to both woman & men players.

Two counter-intuitive elements are used to Reimagine the Astrodome.
1. Tennis = Billie Jean King’s role in the “Battle of the Sexes”
2. Gender Equality = the Original 9 who signed $1 contracts


Location: Houston, TX. US
T. Joseph Surjan - design scientist & writer
S. Hjelte Fumanelli - project architect & digital modeling

Chicago Underground Practice is a team of design scientists.


Hours

M-F: 24-7

Telephone

312-543-7783

Email

tsurjan@gmail.com
  • Home
  • Team
  • Mission
  • Contact
  • Hearsay
  • Social
  • WIP
  • 2020
    • DOODADS_SUN_STUDY
    • DOODADS_REFLECTED
    • DOODADS_OBLIQUE
    • DOODADS_ORTHO
    • DOODADS_DISTRICTS
    • DOODADS_2.0
    • DOODADS_DREAMS
    • DOODADS_DINGBATS_BLOWUPS
    • DOODADS_1.0
    • FLIPPERS_OBLIQUE
    • FLIPPERS_PANO
    • FLIPPERS_PLAN
    • ECO_BASKETS_SUN_STUDY
    • ECO_BASKETS_3.0
    • POP_UPS_1.0
    • BOBBERS_BEBOP_2.0
    • BOBBERS_BEBOP_1.0
    • BOBBERS_SUN_STUDY
    • BOBBERS_2.0
    • BOBBERS_1.0
    • VALUE
    • BLOWUPS_BRIGADE
    • BLOWUPS_SUN_STUDY
    • BLOWUPS_GARDEN
    • BLOWUPS_ORTHO_2.0
    • BLOWUPS_BALLAST
    • BLOWUPS_OBLIQUE
    • BLOWUPS_ORTHO_1.0
    • BLOWUPS_3.0
    • BLOWUPS_OFFSPRING
    • BLOWUPS_2.0
    • BLOWUPS_1.0
    • DINGBATS_HOUSING_2.0
    • DINGBATS_DESIRES
    • DINGBATS_PANORAMIC
    • DINGBATS_HOUSING_1.0
    • DINGBATS_OBLIQUE
    • DINGBATS_2.0
    • DINGBATS_ROOFTOPS
    • DINGBATS_DISTRICTS
    • DINGBATS_REFLECTED_2.0
    • DINGBATS_ATTIC
    • DINGBATS_REFLECTED
    • DINGBATS_LIGHT
    • DINGBATS_PARADE
    • DINGBATS_DANCING
    • DINGBATS_1.0
    • MORE_MISFITS
    • MISFITS_MULTIPLIED
    • MISFITS_MUSEUM_1.0
    • MISFITS_MUSEUM_2.0
    • MISFITS_MAPS
  • 2019
    • MISFITS_MANHATTAN
    • MISFITS_2.0
    • MISFITS_1.0
    • CIRCUS_CIRCUS_2.0
    • CIRCUS_CIRCUS_1.0
    • CANOPY_CITY
    • ECO_BASKETS
    • TIGERMAN'S_ARK
    • SOS_TIGERMAN
    • Paris_Wheat
    • Timepiece
    • Notre Dame de Paris
    • Unbuilt Utzon
    • JUST
    • Boxing Mies
  • 2018
    • Drawing Precedents
    • Extruded Village
    • City of the Morfar
    • OBJECTIVE
    • Building Curriculum Curriculum Building
    • La Città del Nonno
    • SW/TCH
    • Manhattan Giants
    • Luca's Box
    • Big, Soft & Orange
  • 2017
    • Jane's Edge
    • Last H20 on Mulholland
    • SUPPORT
    • Fresh Meat IX
    • House of Morfar
    • Broadway Billboard
    • The Propaganda of Desire
    • Posters for Change
    • Under the Dome
    • The Unsolicited Sideshow
  • 2016
    • Black Holes of Architecture
    • Snell's Window
    • Bipolar City
    • Moneta's Museum
    • SPAN City
    • Stream of Glass
    • PoPA: Pavilion of POP Art
    • SLoB
    • Woman's Work
    • Love Child
    • SLoB 2.0
    • TEMPLE of アッコロカムイ
  • 2015
    • Crimes of Architecture
    • 44 Vaults
    • Authenticity
    • It was a Very Good Year
    • Imagination takes Power
    • State of the Art of Architecture
    • A Dinosaur, a Colossus and a Giant
  • 2014
    • CAAD: Curtains Photo Competition
    • Face On Publication
    • Designing for Free Speech
    • Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
    • Hello Nature
  • 2013
    • Triangle Fire Memorial
    • CAAD: Curtains UT Competition
    • Change the Face
    • Reimagine the Astrodome
    • Fairy Tales I
  • 2012
    • its Liquid
    • Future Prentice
    • The Monumental Competition
    • Arch Triumph