Walter Pyramid, Long Beach CA

 Cal State University Long Beach CSULB Pyramid
1250 Bellflower Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90840
longbeachstate.com
November 30, 1994
Renamed Walter Pyramid 2005

Don Gibbs, Architectural Design
Nielson Construction Company of San Diego
$22 million (50% funding from the State of California to provide class room space)
345 feet each side, perfectly square base
Cantilevered seating system, mounted on moveable platforms 
81-ton seating platforms can be raised hydraulically to expose over 39,000 square feet of beechwood flooring
18,000 steel tubes and connection modules & 160,000 three-quarter inch bolts
New beach-themed floor with palm trees unveiled 2012

Pyramids are believed to offer special healing qualities. The pyramid built on the campus of California State University Long Beach, a beautiful cobalt blue structure matching the sky during the daylight hours, reaches 192 feet upward and 345 feet on each of four sides at its perfectly square base. The Pyramid's includes 18,000 steal tubes and connection modules joined by more than 160,000 three-quarter-inch bolts. If the tubes were laid end-to-end, they would form a pipe span of approx. 26 miles.

CSULB's facility is one of a handful of pyramid structures in the United States and the only one located on a campus.

Other pyramids include the Luxor in Las Vegas, the Arena in Memphis, TN and the Aquarium Pyramid in Galveston, TX.

It includes a one-of-a-kind seating system, mounted on moveable platforms. When use of the entire competition level is required for physical education classes, the seating sections can be raised hydraulically to expose nearly 39,000 square feet of beechwood flooring.

Classes, campus sporting events, a commercial gym, meeting rooms for community and corporate rental and location filming for movies and commercials are some of the activities and uses the Pyramid's been put to. Poor acoustics have nixed plans for concert events in the past but the concept continues to be of interest.

Student activities receive priority over community events in a facility seating around 5,000 people with plans to expand to around 7,500.

The Pyramid has room for five volleyball courts, three full basketball courts and four half basketball courts.

The building features a state-of-the-art educational conference center, The Pointe, which provides a venue for academic lectures, workshops, seminars and banquets. Another unique feature is The Pyramid's ultra-modern fitness center, Frog's at the Pyramid, which is open to the university community and the public when not in use for physical education classes.

The Pointe in the Pyramid has a long, curved wall which provides an interesting architectural effect through use of spotlights.

The Pacific Sunset multipurpose meeting room feature coffered 12-foot ceilings, and seats 320 for a lecture and 200 for a banquet. It can be divided into two nearly equal rooms for smaller groups. Conference groups often meet in one half and have lunch in the other. 

The Frank Bowman Summit Room, a smaller conference room off the main meeting area is used for smaller groups of 24-40 people.

Food service in The Pointe is catered by the campus Forty-Niner Shops. Info: 562-985-7137.