London -21 June 2010
The retractable roof on Wimbledon’s Centre Court, designed by Populous, the global architecture and design practice, won the Innovation of the Year Award at the Stadium Business Awards on Friday 18th June.. The judging panel commented that it had been awarded “…for overcoming the technical challenges and delivering the project in such a way that allows Centre Court to retain its historic atmosphere…”
Rod Sheard, Senior Principal of Populous, said: “The Centre Court at Wimbledon is synonymous with the game of tennis. Its green colour scheme and ivy-coloured walls are familiar to tennis fans around the world. In developing this design we wanted to help the AELTC develop its strongly defined identity and brand, based on the heritage and traditions of its grass tennis courts, but also maintain its position as the most significant tennis venue in the world by developing an innovative moving roof that guarantees continuity of play in all conditions.”
The technical challenge of inserting a retractable roof over the existing Centre Court structure, tested the skills of everyone involved with the project and was opened to great anticipation and approval – capturing the imagination of a global TV audience. Populous developed a unique and innovative moving roof design which provides a discreet, lightweight covering with integrated lighting and ventilation – allowing for the continuity of play under extreme environmental conditions. The two ends of the stadium were rebuilt to support the new moving roof structure, but the distinctive geometry and layout of the seats were maintained to preserve the very special ambiance that Centre Court provides.
The awards ceremony took place during the Stadium Business Summit at the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin, in front of an audience of 150 stadium industry professionals from around the world
