# Retractable Roofs



## dande (Jan 28, 2005)

On the one side there are arenas like Toronto Skydome, it is both outdoor and indoor arena. On the other side arenas like Amsterdam Arena or Millenium Stadium with closable roof but used mostly as outdoor arenas. I wonder if these latter mentioned are eligiable to host basketball or other indoor competitions? I think that even though the roof is closed on Amsterdam Arena the stadium isn´t air conditioned. Does anyone have any info about how they rate arenas when it comes to this?


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## FrankWhite (Apr 12, 2005)

i know that for example in the Schalke Arena it's no problem to host handball games or even biathlon events. also stock car rallies have taken place there

handball









biathlon


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## cardiff (Jul 26, 2005)

The millenium stadium is used for all sorts of events, im sure it would be used for basketball if it was that popular an event and could get 70,000 people interested in the UK. It also has had rally car events there, also having huge concerts like the tsunami concert, U2 and REM recently


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## rantanamo (Sep 12, 2002)

Reliant hosts basketball from time to time. Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't Bank One Ballpark hosted basketball before? I believe they have, not sure. Also Reliant, the new Arizona Cardinals Stadium and new Colts Stadium will all host Final Fours while the new Cowboys Park will bid as will the Jets stadium(if it happens). Skydome(Rogers Centre) used to host the Raptors of the NBA I believe. They had that really wild floor. Most retractables in the U.S. are baseball stadiums, which aren't really laid out well to host basketball. Most retractables are fine to host basketball as they actually fully enclose. Not all though. Safeco in Seattle is a true roof in that it just covers the field and audience, but is open air with now wall in the outfield. No basketball for them.


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## Drunkill (Jul 31, 2004)

Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia [AFL (football), Cricket, Rugby, Concerts] [55,000aprox]








Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia [ Tennis, Concerts, Motocross] [16,000 aprox]








Vodafone Arena, Melbourne, Australia [Cycling, Tennins, Concerts, basketball] [10,000 guess]


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## A r c h i (Jul 6, 2005)

^Don't forget they also had Basketball games there.


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## Madman (Dec 29, 2003)

cardiff said:


> The millenium stadium is used for all sorts of events, im sure it would be used for basketball if it was that popular an event and could get 70,000 people interested in the UK. It also has had rally car events there, also having huge concerts like the tsunami concert, U2 and REM recently


If i remember it also had the worlds largest 'adult' school party. Imagine tens of thousands of ladies in one venue all dressed as schoolgirls...


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## sanhen (Jun 5, 2004)

If I am not mistaken.. Rod Laver Arena is the first arena with retractable roof. 

Vodafone arena can seats 11,000 people. Not only the roof is retractable, the seats is retractable also. This seating features allows Vodafone to host a full size velodrome inside (cycling track).

They also use RLA for that rave party.. two tribes I think. Vodafone also host the X factor.

Usually, they open those roofs only during Australian Open, because it cost so much to open. And because it needs constant cleaning - there are so many birds living in the roof, when they open it, a lot of bird poo will fall. :rofl: .. i am not joking.


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## dande (Jan 28, 2005)

I recall that Rolling Stones had to postpone few tour dates in Montreal a few years ago because snow storm had damaged the roof of the Olympic stadium.


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## HoldenV8 (Jul 18, 2005)

The worlds 1st retractable domed stadium wasn't an NFL football stadium, a baseball stadium or even the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. It was in fact the Civic Arena (now called Mellon Arena) in Pittsburgh. Built originally to hold concerts for Pittsburgh's Civic Light Opera, it eventually became home to the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL. It was opened for business in 1961.


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## samsonyuen (Sep 23, 2003)

Does it still retract?


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## DrJoe (Sep 12, 2002)

Nope dont think it still retracts.


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## Cheese Mmmmmmmmmmmm (Apr 8, 2005)

samsonyuen said:


> Does it still retract?





DrJoe said:


> Nope dont think it still retracts.


Yeah, they wanted to put in a newer, heavier scoreboard like 10-15 years ago, so the structure isn't able to support it with the "wedges" retracted. It's a shame too, the only permanent NHL home that could afford its fans with an outdoor hockey game:


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## Giorgio (Oct 9, 2004)

damn that thing is one ugly fuk


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

*Retractable Rooves*

a list of retractable rooved stadia.

A list of current stadiums with retractable rooves are:

Amsterdam ArenA, Netherlands

Chase Field

Fukuoka Dome

Gelredome

Millenium Stadium

Miller Park

Minute Maid Park

Reliant Stadium

Rod Laver Arena

Rogers Centre

Safeco Field

Telstra Dome

A list of future stadiums with retractable rooves are:

Arizona Cardinals Stadium

Jets Stadium

Colts Stadium

Dallas Cowboys Stadium

Saints Stadium

Vikings Stadium

Beijing Olympic Stadium

AEL Arena

Fornebu Arena

Le Havre Stadium

Good or bad???


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

Good or Bad


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## cphdude (Apr 18, 2004)

Hard to see how it could be a bad thing?


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

good


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

cphdude said:


> Hard to see how it could be a bad thing?


you're right, it is not


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## Welly (Feb 27, 2006)

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/dictionaries/english/data/d0082600.html

next


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

Welly said:


> http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/dictionaries/english/data/d0082600.html
> 
> next


Who cares, Welly


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## Durbsboi (Dec 2, 2005)

Not another "Welly vs Rexfan2 Thread"!


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

nah, as i said before, i dispelled of him


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## 2zanzibar (Dec 13, 2005)

Good thread. WHY do we have them; what is this stupid fascination with them; why do most stadias deem them necessary now, even in places where it doesn't rain!!

When closed the sound is horrible and they look ugly and lack oxygen.

As you might of guessed by now, I bleedin hate 'em!


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## SE9 (Apr 26, 2005)

Well, on the other hand, a retractable roof means greater control of the elements that the pitch is exposed to. If there is standing water on the surface, the roof can be closed.

Also a closed roof heightens the atmosphere, as has been seen by various FA Cup finals and other matches at the Millenium Stadium.


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## CharlieP (Sep 12, 2002)

Don't you mean "Retractable Roofs"?!


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## Maccabi (Mar 28, 2006)

Rexfan2 said:


> a list of retractable rooved stadia.
> 
> A list of current stadiums with retractable rooves are:
> 
> ...


Hey remove AEL Arena from this list.They are finally gonna build a crappy old-fashioned stadium found only in third world countries.


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## invincible (Sep 13, 2002)

Telstra Dome (or Docklands Stadium as it was when it was proposed) is poorly designed because the whole stadium's orientation means that a shadow is cast over the playing area and the grass isn't of high quailty in those parts.

That said, it comes in handy when a sudden downpour of rain arrives. The roof also stops people in nearby apartment towers from getting a free view of the game.


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## xXMrPinkXx (Aug 11, 2005)

@Rexfan
You forgot some Stadiums in Germany, which have also retractable roofs:
Veltins Arena (Schalke)
LTU Arena
Commerzbank Arena


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## dennol (Sep 11, 2002)

First not all clubs (or cities, countries) can afford to build stadiums with retractable roofs

Second not everybody needs it (depending on climate) or wants it. Football, rugby etc. are meant to be outdoor sports anyway. A bit of rain or snow shouldn’t stop a match from being played.

Third stadiums with a roof are not perfect either. Last winter a game in the Amsterdam Arena was cancelled because of the risk that ice would fall of the (curved) roof, injuring visitors or worse. It was a little ironic because other matches in stadiums without roofs did go on.

The Amsterdam Arena also had some problems with the grass (air quality, sunlight, soil) in the past and has/had some other flaws as well. It was (and still is) argued that some other Dutch stadiums actually offer better quality overall despite not having retractable roofs...


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## xXMrPinkXx (Aug 11, 2005)

dennol said:


> The Amsterdam Arena also had some problems with the grass (air quality, sunlight, soil) in the past and has/had some other flaws as well. It was (and still is) argued that some other Dutch stadiums actually offer better quality overall despite not having retractable roofs...


Therefore they also have a retractable pitch at Schalke!


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

ok, will remove AEL Arena in future


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

xXMrPinkXx said:


> @Rexfan
> You forgot some Stadiums in Germany, which have also retractable roofs:
> Veltins Arena (Schalke)
> LTU Arena
> Commerzbank Arena


how could i forget them!!!


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

any more???


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## Quintana (Dec 27, 2005)

xXMrPinkXx said:


> Therefore they also have a retractable pitch at Schalke!


An idea they "borrowed" from the Gelredome in Arnhem. Bunch of German copy-pasters


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## Grollo (Sep 11, 2002)

Melbourne actually has three:

Telstra Dome
Rod Laver Arena
Vodafone Arena


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

true, melbourne does have 3


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## rantanamo (Sep 12, 2002)

They usually don't have good ventilation or wind movement. As said, sound isn't great, and they aren't great as indoor arenas usually. Those without the rolling pitch often have pitch problems. The only ones so far that seem to have gotten it right are the upcoming Colts Stadium, Chase Field, Safeco and Miller Park. The others are too "domey" IMHO.


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

what about AZ Cardinals Stadium


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## rantanamo (Sep 12, 2002)

I like the look of it, but I bet it will have the same ventilation problems that Texas Stadium and Reliant have. Too domey. At least they thought about the field and are using a nice material for the roof. I'm surprised they didn't make the walls at each end retractable.


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## TalB (Jun 8, 2005)

I find rectratable roofes to be unnecessary for a stadium. Also, they cost a lot of money. Isn't the stadium itself already expensive? I can understand that it might rain durring a football, soccer, or baseball game, but that's only by chance. There is also a chance that I might fall off the bed when I am sleeping, but you don't see placing myself in a strap.


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## 40Acres (Jul 6, 2005)

TalB said:


> I find rectratable roofes to be unnecessary for a stadium. Also, they cost a lot of money. Isn't the stadium itself already expensive? I can understand that it might rain durring a football, soccer, or baseball game, but that's only by chance. There is also a chance that I might fall off the bed when I am sleeping, but you don't see placing myself in a strap.


In the case of the Cardinals, it is all about comfort from the heat. Sun Devil Stadium was murder to sit out there during a 12 PM start time just to watch a miserable product. Now, we can watch the Cardinals suck in the shade!!


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## rantanamo (Sep 12, 2002)

I don't think they're uneccessary. Just depends on what uses are intended.


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## tocino (Mar 26, 2006)

I hate them. The "elements" are part of sport.


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

but it depends on which sport though


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## BobDaBuilder (Jun 7, 2005)

Once you get used to a roof and not having to freeze your arse off you think to yourself, how the hell did we put up with those decrepit, old open stadiums? 

It is like going back to black and white tv compared to hi-def, widescreen plasmas.


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## Wezza (Jan 22, 2004)

Vodafone Arena has a rectractable roof as well. Can't see why they could be a bad thing unless they didn't work.....
Edit: Just read that Vodafone has already been mentioned..........


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## BobDaBuilder (Jun 7, 2005)

I recall going to see some soccer and rugby over in London at grounds like Craven Cottage, Stamford Br. and Loftus Rd. To give you an idea it was like going into a timewarp back to when my dad used to take me along to those old suburban footy grounds around Melbourne where he would put a wooden box down for me to stand on and you would be able to smell the stench of tobacco and beer wafting up around the terraces.

Nostalgia for the old days is nice, but reality is another thing.


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## BaronVonChickenpants (Oct 4, 2005)

BobDaBuilder said:


> I recall going to see some soccer and rugby over in London at grounds like Craven Cottage, Stamford Br. and Loftus Rd. To give you an idea it was like going into a timewarp back to when my dad used to take me along to those old suburban footy grounds around Melbourne where he would put a wooden box down for me to stand on and you would be able to smell the stench of tobacco and beer wafting up around the terraces.
> 
> Nostalgia for the old days is nice, but reality is another thing.


nothing wrong with Loftus Rd


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## BobDaBuilder (Jun 7, 2005)

Not much right with it either! It is okay for a 3rd division club like QPR.


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## BaronVonChickenpants (Oct 4, 2005)

BobDaBuilder said:


> Not much right with it either! It is okay for a 3rd division club like QPR.


 the 3rd Division????????
well Bob,i'm sure you are well qualified to make a remark that that

(we don't have a 3rd Division anymore)


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Unless you live in a climate like Puerto Vallarta, retractable roofs are the only
way to go. The Roger's Centre here in Toronto has done the trick wonderfully
well, and it only takes about 20 minutes to open or close it. Brilliant!


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## cphdude (Apr 18, 2004)

Rexfan2 said:


> any more???


PARKEN, Copenhagen...


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## carlspannoosh (Apr 12, 2004)

BobDaBuilder said:


> I recall going to see some soccer and rugby over in London at grounds like Craven Cottage, Stamford Br. and Loftus Rd. To give you an idea it was like going into a timewarp back to when my dad used to take me along to those old suburban footy grounds around Melbourne where he would put a wooden box down for me to stand on and you would be able to smell the stench of tobacco and beer wafting up around the terraces.
> 
> Nostalgia for the old days is nice, but reality is another thing.


A picture of one of the stadiums that reminds BobDaBuilder of the type of old suburban footy grounds found in Melbourne.


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## Brent H. (Feb 7, 2006)

Theres nothing better than sitting outdoors on a nice day and watching football (any of its variations) or baseball, however in areas with extreme climate conditions, its nice to have the retractable option so that you can enjoy the outdoors when its nice, but not have to worry about the cancellation of the event. Also indoor venues have more options with the types of events they can host. I hate domes, I prefer outdoor stadiums, but retractables offer the best of both worlds.


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

very true, Brent H.


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

cphdude said:


> PARKEN, Copenhagen...


Parken has a retractable roof??? it was brilliant before i heard that, but now its even better!!!


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## Socrates (Oct 20, 2005)

For football and rugby stadiums they are unnecesary, per se. However, when a rugby/football ground is used for other activities, like the multi use Millenium Stadium then retractable roofs are great innovations. 










Noise + Confusion '05 in Cardiff. Winter festival, great event, not possible wothout a stadium with a roof.


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## tocino (Mar 26, 2006)

Rexfan2 said:


> but it depends on which sport though


Nothing can beat an American football match in the snow, in early January!

Retractable roof stadiums can't have this...


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## hngcm (Sep 17, 2002)

^ Awesome game. 

And unless it's a baseball stadium, I think roofs aren't needed.


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## Durbsboi (Dec 2, 2005)

Playing football in the snow? thats stupid.


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## Adamonline (Sep 12, 2002)

Originally, wasn't Wembley to have a partially retractable roof, or is this still in fact the case?


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## BaronVonChickenpants (Oct 4, 2005)

Adamonline said:


> Originally, wasn't Wembley to have a partially retractable roof, or is this still in fact the case?



Wembley still has the partially retractable roof.But it is just to allow sunlight onto the pitch,and the design also means that none of the pitch is ever in shadow.I go past Wembley into work everyday on the Metropolitan Line,and this part of the roof is easy to see


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## Mo Rush (Nov 13, 2004)

wembley's roof retracts only a little bit...hoo har..i dont see what the big fuss is...i mean i love the stadium a whole lot..but to make a big fuss about a little portion of the stadium that retracts...its almost as if thats the only reason the arch is there.


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## Loranga (Apr 24, 2003)

tocino said:


> Nothing can beat an American football match in the snow, in early January!
> 
> Retractable roof stadiums can't have this...


Wonderful for gridiron, horrible for soccer...


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## MoreOrLess (Feb 17, 2005)

hngcm said:


> ^ Awesome game.
> 
> And unless it's a baseball stadium, I think roofs aren't needed.


Snow isnt actually that unpleasent to sit through though, rain is alot worse.


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## tocino (Mar 26, 2006)

Loranga said:


> Wonderful for gridiron, horrible for soccer...


Yeah for most cases, but could you imagine Old Trafford with a fucking dome on top of it? No more pouring Manchester rain every other match, it just wouldn't be the same!


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

cricket can't be played in rain


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## North_Beach (Jan 21, 2006)

Rexfan2 said:


> cricket can't be played in rain


Your MSN link doesn't work!


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

http://groups.msn.com/stadiumsoftheworld/homepage

try that


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## North_Beach (Jan 21, 2006)

Yes, that's better. I will now have a look!


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## ReddAlert (Nov 4, 2004)

I depends for what sport. American football should always be played outdoors...for it can be played in any condition. Domes in cold weather is for pansies.

Baseball...domes may be nessessary. Baseball cannot be played in heavy rain--which is frequent in the spring and summer. 

Here is Milwaukees stadium--Miller Park.


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## North_Beach (Jan 21, 2006)

Yeah...that looks great fun.....if you are stupid!!


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## tocino (Mar 26, 2006)

North_Beach said:


> Yeah...that looks great fun.....if you are stupid!!


Keep up the immature insults and you'll get banned!


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

playing in the snow is a lot of fun at times


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## DrJoe (Sep 12, 2002)

tocino said:


> Retractable roof stadiums can't have this...



Yes they can. Its just a matter of, uh, not closing the roof.


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## tocino (Mar 26, 2006)

DrJoe said:


> Yes they can. Its just a matter of, uh, not closing the roof.


Yeah but, uh, would the teams ever allow their season ticket holders to (gasp) get wet or god forbid, snowed on! No.


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## Brent H. (Feb 7, 2006)

North_Beach said:


> Yeah...that looks great fun.....if you are stupid!!


Its not so bad, if you bundle up its not very cold and snow is no big deal, about 10 years ago I attended an NFL playoff game in january where it snowed, it was kinda cool. Rain stinks, but snow isnt so bad as long as youre prepared.


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## cphdude (Apr 18, 2004)

Rexfan2 said:


> Parken has a retractable roof??? it was brilliant before i heard that, but now its even better!!!


well, its not used that often, since it block from some of the audience. So it is only used in games with a garanteed low audience attendence...It was added in 2000 and will be there also after the renovation of Parken starting in November...


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## victory (Mar 4, 2006)

Good thing, dont want to close them, then dont, want to close them, then do. If the oppoistion kicker (say for rugby) sucks on a windy day, then keep the damn thing open to in crease chances of victory.

Cold wet windy day, close the bugger and stay warm. Cricket match threatened with abandonement, no cause we can close the roof.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: want to have an indoor arena-style boxing titale fight or concert or wrestling night, or whatever you can think of: then close the roof, rig up the big room, dim the lights and you got yourself a big indoor arena to have a big title-night fight or wrestlmania XXXXXVII or concert hoodoo or whatever, have a night time atmosphere all day long.

I love my retractable roofs, thank god my city has 3. 




> Yeah but, uh, would the teams ever allow their season ticket holders to (gasp) get wet or god forbid, snowed on! No.


If they are responsible employers they shouldn't allow their players to play on ice frozen surfaces.


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## Canadian Chocho (May 18, 2006)

This is the retractable roofs thread so please feel free to post pictures of retractable roofs on stadiums or arenas. I was wondering how many there are in the world anyway.


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## Abdi (Jul 26, 2006)

Milleniums Stadium















































[IMGhttp://www.blieb.nl/data/subdomain/95/article/20060327085655_tak_amsterdam_arena.jpg[/IMG]


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## pompeyfan (Mar 23, 2006)

theres already a thread on this

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=334987


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## samba_man (Dec 26, 2004)

I luv Retractable roofs stadiums


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## Melchisedeck (Jul 29, 2005)

Arizona cardinals new stadium












































_________________________________________________________________
My Blogs: http://tempiovespasiano.blogspot.com/
http://marvelousarchitectures.blogspot.com/


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## cinosanap (Aug 10, 2004)

^^ Nice stadium, bad location. It is in the middle of nowhere.


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## Canadian Chocho (May 18, 2006)

What was the first? Was it the SkyDome or something else?


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## Scba (Nov 20, 2004)

Technically, Olympic Stadium in Montreal was the first. But not the first working.


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## Jim856796 (Jun 1, 2006)

I think retractable roofs and fixed domes on stadiums are essential because they allow stadiums to host events that are usually held in indoor arenas.


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## Luke80 (Jul 1, 2009)

I bet it can be damn loud under those roofs!


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## Alemanniafan (Dec 15, 2008)

Jim856796 said:


> I think retractable roofs and fixed domes on stadiums are essential because they allow stadiums to host events that are usually held in indoor arenas.


Which in many cases don't pay off financially.
It really depends on the local circumstances and demands. Retractable roofs are very expensive in comparison to classic roofs which remain open over the pitch, so those exctra cost need to be refinanced in order for a retractable roof to make any economical sense. And exactly that is often a rather difficult challenge, especially when soccer is the first and foremost important reason and mainuse for a stadium. And when the standards and demands for these soccerstadia are very high, like being as close as possible to the pitch etc. for example, which all do reduce the multipurpose usability even further.

It all basically depends on how requently those stadia are used for these secondary events and purposes. And how much money can be earned with those.


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## Bigmac1212 (Nov 2, 2004)

I'll go with good. There are certain places where a roof is needed only part of the season. We wouldn't want to deprive these fans of some outdoor games.


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## magic_johnson (Jun 20, 2009)

pompeyfan said:


> yeah, in aussie rules it's prohibited
> 
> don't know about cricket


It is prohibited during play bit it's OK during half time.


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## archiholic (Mar 19, 2008)

*OITA BIG EYE STADIUM*
*Oita, Japan*


































This stadium also has retractable seat :cheers:


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## parcdesprinces (Feb 15, 2009)

*European Stadiums with retractable roofs*



parcdesprinces said:


> *Name: Gelredome
> Location: Arnhem, The Netherlands
> Tenant: S.B.V. Vitesse
> Capacity: 26,600
> ...


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## PiotrG (Feb 4, 2008)

Warsaw final version of retractable roof


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## Axelferis (Jan 18, 2008)

Lille soon join this family


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## Chimaera (Mar 14, 2007)

At first I couldn't believe the roof at Parken is really retractable. It seems impossible looking at aerials. But since it hosted the Eurovision Song Contest and the retractable roof is mentioned on the official website... I'm looking for pics of it and illustrating how it works.

EDIT: I guess it is hidden in the roof of the stand that they are currently rebuilding. This is a picture with the roof closed (2000 Euro Song Contest):









About Oita Big Eye: that doesn't look like retractable seating, but temporary stands that were installed for the 2002 World Cup.

I haven't seen Kobe Wing Stadium in this thread yet. The temporary parts of both goal stands where removed after the 2002 FIFA World Cup and a retractable roof was added:


















An image with the roof closed: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Kobe_Wing_Stadium.jpg

Before:


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## Bobby3 (Jun 26, 2007)

The seats in Oita are part of the stadium, they're used when Oita Trinita has a big match.


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## Chimaera (Mar 14, 2007)

Bobby3 said:


> The seats in Oita are part of the stadium, they're used when Oita Trinita has a big match.


Where do they go with the stadium in athletics configuration?


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