Egypt doesn’t have all of the cool pyramids. One of the four architecturally true pyramids in the US is in Long Beach; specifically, the Long Beach State Walter Pyramid, the sports and event space for the university’s Athletics Department. The $22 million venue, built in 1994, has hosted several NCAA events, including women’s volleyball NCAA matches, the 2001, 2003, and 2019 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championships, and the 2003 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Regionals.
The uniqueness of the Walter Pyramid’s exterior also presents interior geometric challenges. Believed to be the largest space-frame structure in North America, the Walter Pyramid measures 345 feet on each side of its perfectly square base, accommodating three full basketball courts and four additional half basketball courts, and featuring a unique cantilevered seating system mounted on moveable platforms. However, the Walter Pyramid is unique in another way: it’s got the best sound of any pyramid, anywhere, any epoch, thanks to...
