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| Wembley Stadium opens in London The completion of Wembley National Stadium designed by Foster + Partners and HOK Sport, heralds a new chapter for Britain's iconic venue. The new Wembley Stadium will be the first of a new generation of sports stadia, with facilities unparalleled anywhere in the world, including banqueting halls, pre-function gathering spaces and facilities for media coverage. The design builds upon the heritage of the old stadium to provide future generations of sports and music fans with a venue equipped for the twenty-first century. Originally known as the "Empire Stadium", Wembley Stadium was built for the British Empire Exhibition of 1924 and was first opened for the 1923 FA Cup Final. Since then it has become the most important sports venue in Britain. Home to the England national football team, Wembley was the site of the Olympic Games in 1948 and the football World Cup Final in 1966. It has also acted as a venue for major rock concerts and other popular events. A key feature of the new stadium is its partly retractable roof. When fully open it allows sunlight to reach the whole pitch – an essential element in maintaining the world-standard quality of the turf. In poor weather, the roof can be closed within 1 hour, providing cover for all 90,000 seats. The roof is supported structurally by a spectacular 135-metre-high arch that soars over the stadium, providing an iconic replacement for the old building's landmark twin towers. Dramatically illuminated at night, the arch will be visible from vantage points across London. To create an intimate atmosphere during matches, the stadium has been designed with seats as close to the pitch as possible. However it also has the potential to host athletics track and field competitions, for which an elevated track and athletics arena can be installed above the pitch and the first few rows of the lower tier, supported by a temporary rigid deck structure. At the same time, acoustic performance has been given particular attention to continue the thrilling 'Wembley roar' that energises this spectacular venue. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Construction News :: home page |