Thread by @danamagliola

This off-season, I took up a new hobby… Inspired by @PaperStadiums, I decided to create a paper version of old Riddick Stadium at #NCState, home of the Wolfpack from 1907-1965 (before CF). Here’s my final & thread for some along-the-way shots, process, commentary, etc. (Thread)

The Pack moved to the new modernist Carter-Finley Stadium, in 1966 and Riddick was slowly repurposed, then finally torn down in 2005 to make way for SAS Hall. Sadly at one point even serving as a parking lot :(

So the first challenge I had was finding details/scale and photos of Riddick Stadium since there were no plans anywhere. Thankfully @ncsulibraries Rare Unique Digital collection had some gems! With these I pieced together scale, layout, and architectural details.

I watched @PaperStadiums videos like 300 times and he was awesome to offer some advice when I reached out with questions. The learning curve is sharp but you start to figure out things along the way. (Making trees is fun. Individual stadium risers/girders are not).

Riddick was organically part of NC State campus so I decided to include some buildings for context. Beyond Riddick Fieldhouse, I added Yarborough Steam Plant, Syme Hall, King YMCA Religious Center (no longer there), Morris Building (gone), the Laundry & 1/2 of Park Shops.

Again @ncsulibraries to the rescue with great photos for some of the now demolished buildings including the beautiful King Religious Center YMCA (demolished 1975) (h/t for ivy lesson from the @PaperStadiums’ Wrigley Field build)

Riddick had lights since sometime in the 1930s. Making stadium lights was fun and challenging. I used little balls of aluminum foil for the lights part (pretty much the only non-paper thing on here)

Architectural details are fun to include & challenging to recreate - definitely risk of going down a rabbit hole. By my 2nd set of bleachers (and several exacto wounds), I learned to simplify… (I also learned about this space-age tech Cricut like halfway through this project!)

Roofs are hard. Syme Hall’s especially- and when I later decided to add Park Shops, oh boy that’s a roof nightmare (even leaving off half the bldg). Lots of trial and error to get shapes and scale somewhat similar in the paper medium.

I made lots of the buildings on PowerPoint, printed then cut them out to glue. This took a lot of figuring out along the way. Here’s Riddick Fieldhouse deconstructed - then final version 3d. (I could have hand colored these & the field like @PaperStadiums does but I wimped out)

One of the hardest things to find was a clear photo of the scoreboard! I searched 30+ years of the @ncsuagromeck’s football sections for one good shot of it close up. Finally found one (1948) and tried to make my best version of it.(I don’t really understand the clock though)

I also struggled with the field layout because there were so few photos of it. I sort of pieced it together. (No logos or even text is very humble, no?)

Disclaimers: So I sort of picked+ choose different features over the lifespan of the stadium to include. Newer press box (1950s) old steam plant (1940s). Also exact accuracy and scale is hard! e.g. accurate number of columns on stands (26), not accurate # of bleacher exits.

Ok so that’s it. Riddick Stadium and surrounding court, in paper. It would have been cool to see it in person but alas. I definitely learned a ton about #NCState’s campus history along the way. So here’s a bunch more photos cause I took so so SO many of this paper stadium.

Here’s a great entry from @GoodnightRal on Riddick Stadium goodnightraleigh.com/2013/02/twilig….

And here’s a hint about my next stadium project…(predictable)

Oh and lastly…GO PACK!

Thanks for all the kind words. Great to hear from so many with memories. While you’re here WPN, drop a follow on @NCStateSailing where my Wolfpack heart starts.