Exterior view of building shortly after opening
Interior of rink (21st century)
The Boston Skating Club is a skating club located in Boston, Massachusetts. It's home is also referred to by the same name. The arena was built in 1938. It was also a part time home for many collegiate hockey games from its' opening until all of the teams got their own home rinks. Teams to use the rink as a home include the Boston College Eagles, Boston University Terriers, and Harvard Crimson. All of these teams also used the Matthews Arena as a home rink as well.
The design itself is referred to as a "Quonset Hut" design which became a popular construction design for military buildings during and after World War II. It was the first building of its kind in which the load on the arches was directed straight downward onto spread footings, with no tie rods being required for obvious reasons. It was built in 1938 at a cost of $180,000.[1] The arena was originally built with a Douglas fir roof which needed to be replaced in 1993 due to wear and tear causing rotting of the timbers forming the roof. It was replaced with the galvanized steel roof.