FEA TURE — BC
PL A CE BC Place Revitalisation: New Roof
BC Place opened in 1983 as the first domed stadium in Canada covered by the largest air-supported dome in the world. Twenty-five years later, as the end of the design service life of the air-roof was approaching and planning for the Vancouver’s Olympic Winter Games was underway, it became clear to the owner, BC Pavilion Corporation, that action was needed to assure the stadium’s continued utility and relevance. Revitalisation of the existing facility was clearly seen to be both economically and sustainably superior to new construction.
The project was phased such that many interior upgrades were completed for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The second phase of the project was realised in the limited time between BC Place’s hosting of the Games ending in March 2010 and the 99th Grey Cup in November of 2011, a testament to all involved.
BC Place’s new roof is the most visible manifestation of the revitalised stadium. The roof structure creates a striking new image for the ‘dome’ while dramatically improving the venue for field sports. The ability to open the roof as well as the new lower bowl canopy visual screens, were key to attracting the MLS Whitecaps.
The new roof is unprecedented. BC Place is the only example of an existing domed stadium having its dome replaced with a retractable roof. The new retractable roof radial cable truss supported by 36m by 47.5m tall perimeter masts is first of its type in North America. The roof’s masts and compression ring are prominently featured, creating a new iconic image for the venue.
The new roof is designed to carry seven million kg of snow and a new centre-hung videoboard system, the second largest in North America, on clear spans of 227m x 186m, covering 40,000m2. The centre 7,500m2 of the roof retracts to transform the multipurpose dome to an open-air field sport venue. The new roof is entirely enveloped with tensioned membranes, the low mass of which is highly desirable in seismically active British Columbia.
The retractable roof consists of pneumatic cushions of TENARA fluorocarbon composite fabric deployed from the centre ‘garage’. The roof is supported above a continuous 12.5m high clerestory of louvers and transparent ETFE film that greatly enhances the openness of the stadium interior. This, coupled with the high light transmission through the various membranes employed to clad the roof, creates a dramatic bright and airy interior with the roof open or closed.
The unique optical properties of the ETFE film ‘glazing’ of the clerestory are exploited with a digitally controlled LED lighting system. The clerestory LEDs and the roof’s architectural multicoloured lighting animate the stadium and, when appropriate, allow BC Place to boldly assert its presence in Vancouver’s skyline.
The BC Place revitalisation has created an exciting state-of-the-art facility from what was an aging building at half the cost of new build. The new roof is a key element in this transformation.
Written by: David Campbell P.Eng., P.E., is President of Geiger Engineers and leader of the design and engineering team responsible for the new roof at BC Place.
MAKEOVER
REDE VEL OPMENT
MASTERCLASS – PART II
20 th AN N I V ER S AR Y
P AR T
II/ S U M M ER 1 2
P AN S T AD I A
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