Ok this is my first thread so hopefully it's ok.

I think work has started on the deconstruction of the east wing at Wimbledon’s centre court. Even though I haven’t heard any official announcement so I may be wrong but it looks like it on the webcam.

In its place will be the new east wing which will double the space already available and create a new restaurant and improved bar facilities.

This is part of the larger redevelopment of centre court which includes
• New light weight retractable roof
• Seating expansion from 13,800 to 15,000
• Replacement of current seating with new wider and more comfortable ones.

What Wimbledon looks like now. and with new east wing
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/7696/39708173centrecourt2003nr8.gif http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/3667/39708175centrecourt2009yj3.gif


What Wimbledon will look like now and in 2009 after all the improvements have been made.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/1381/untitled1kq6.jpghttp://img215.imageshack.us/img215/885/39708171aerial1ln1.gif

Webcam of east wing
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/6451/camputer42ly6.jpg

Well I didn't know that was going on! Thanks for posting tko12345. As ever Wimbledon manages to pull off an elegant improvement very much proving evolution can be just as successful as revolution.

That looks pretty nice but I woukd prefer they did it on the other side aswell to make it symmetrical.

Is there much happening with this at the moment? Haven't heard for a while now.

Well, the 2007 Championships start six weeks today, so you'll see a lot of the Centre Court then...

http://www.siteeyelive.com/monitor/camputer41.jpg

Nice one. Where's that photo from?

The webcam that is inside the court, there should be a link on the offical website, but it appears to be stuck on saturday.

Ahem- there's a neglected thread on this already with a link to the camera. If one of the mods could merge the threads that would be cool.

tko12345 has a better description & pics so makes sense to merge the old stuff to this.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=413363

Better still, close this one - the spelling mistake in the title is making me see red...

any newer pics of this now its about to start

I thought the Centre Court was only re-roofed fairly recently (i.e. in the last 10 years)? Now it looks like they're doing it all again!

Anyway, found some more info and videos here:
http://aeltc.wimbledon.org/en_GB/about/guide/longtermplan.html

The whole centre court has been rebuilt- the roof will go on in the next year.

Er - no it hasn't, it's just had about eight rows added and a few minor changes. The bulk of the court is unchanged (thankfully).

Supposedly the Royal Box is very exposed for snipers with the roof not being constructed yet. Police are looking closely at two tower blocks near-by.

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=463640&in_page_id=1770

^^ Does that really still go on? Crikey.

Sounds like a good excuse to knock them awful towers down.

According to the BBC website, the changes made are:

Since play ended on 9 July last year, the East Stand has been demolished and the existing roof removed, while an extra six rows of terracing have been completed.

The timelapse videos Stadiumitis mentioned are brilliant - the best thing to do is save them all, then drag them into a new playlist in Windows Media Player (in the right order!) so you can watch ten months' progress in one go :)

I didn't realise the upper half of the East Stand seating had been rebuilt - I thought it was just the external building that was new.

yeah I thought it was weird when u said it was only 8 rows that had been extended as I was sure when I looked at the webcam that a whole side had been demolished.

Still at least it will be another olympic venue built in time for 2012.

listening to tennis commentry today and they was talking about the roof they said it would be ready for 2009 championships, surely it'll be ready for next year?

Nope, temporary fixed roof next year, and then they finish the retractable one.

Nope, temporary fixed roof next year, and then they finish the retractable one.

That sounds odd. Will it really be a temporary one, or do you mean the new roof but without the slidy bit that covers the playing surface?

i dont get why the roof will take so long

first the roof supports will be built and the part that covers the crowd,(which is how it more or less looked before) this should be in place for next year's tournament. the actual sliding panels and roof will be in place by 2009.

That sounds more like it. Not so much a temporary roof as a half-finished one.

Action

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/Sparkynufc/camputer41130807.jpg

woah looking great

Can the thread title be changed please - if we're discussing the All England Club, it might be nice to use actual English - so can we have 'centre' and not 'center'. :)

please?

It's probably just an illusion, but the roof doesn't look that high. Does any one know how it compares to the retractable roof at Rod Laver Court in Melbourne?

Can the thread title be changed please - if we're discussing the All England Club, it might be nice to use actual English - so can we have 'centre' and not 'center'. :)

See post #10 :)

http://www.siteeyelive.com/monitor/camputer41.jpg

Looking good...I assume

I cannot see anything on the webcam at 10:21pm

Visual progress has been that great in the last few months.

I'm so keen on Wimbledon and on grass tennis courts... even though I can't manage to find the green stuff in my country...
I always say that I should save some money and travel to London, it is London the first place I want to visit if I have got the chance to step on European soil... maybe by the year 2012, who knows...
Wimbledon is a title which is still denied to Argentinians. Both Gabriela Sabatini and David Nalbandian are former runners-up... But David likes fast courts... do you people think he might have another opportunity at Wimby? I mean, if he maintains the level shown at Madrid and Paris.
Another question for you: do you manage to get a place to play every year when the British Grass Court Season begins?
Are you aware of the symbolic value that these courts represent?
Greetings from Córdoba, Argentina, home to David Nalbandian!

there are a fair few grass courts around to play on if thats what u mean? Wimbledon is in my opinion one of the easiest sporting events to access. All you have to do is turn up at about 8 in the morning and queue for entry. My mates have got into centre court many times just from people giving away their tickets once they decide to go home..
I myself have only been once, i went with my girlfriend and her friend from america.. he was amazed to actually be there so yea i kinda get the importance this has to people around the world. The site itself is also immaculately kept. Its really a beautiful surrounding.

Personally i think he has a shot of making the semis if his current form is kept up.. but there is a difference between grass and clay courts a lot of players rarely master.

what argentine player was it that once shouted english women are whores in his own lingo whilst bad losing at wimbo a few years back?

When are the championships this year?

Still 2 years left till completion isn't that correct?

I wonder if the capacity at this years tournament will be affected.

couple of other webcams


http://www.siteeyelive.com/monitor/camputer42.jpg

http://www.siteeyelive.com/monitor/camputer43.jpg

God. I had completely forgotten about this thread...! The thing about grass courts I wish to know is if it's easy to get a court to play nowadays. At any club in England.
Anyway, I've been investigating a little and guess what I found: the Hurlingham Club in Buenos Aires (Argentina) maintains six grass tennis courts, they are unique in Southamerica. It is related to English settlement in my country, of course.
As to Nalbandian, he has proven himself in all of the Grand Slam surfaces. Two semi-finals at the French Open and a final and a quarterfinal at Wimbledon. Remember he's kind of an uncommon Argentine tennis player, he learnt the sport on a hard court, whereas the preferred surface here is clay. Nowadays, he is most likely to succeed at SW19 than the very own local Andy Murray.
I think it is so weird... the fact that you people run the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world and the very famous British grass court season and yet your players can't manage to survive the first rounds of The Championships year after year...
Please post news on Centre Court! And images, too.

I think it is so weird... the fact that you people run the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world and the very famous British grass court season and yet your players can't manage to survive the first rounds of The Championships year after year...


apart from 2 weeks a year, Tennis is pretty much a minority sport here. It's also got an image of being very elitist.

Still very elitist? I had another impression of tennis in the UK. I mean, since it is the country where the sport was born and later developed. I do know that some traditions and restrictions are maintained even in the 21th century (clothing at Wimbledon, for e.g.), but I thought that things had come to a point in which tennis was now a popular and affordable activity.

don't know if this has been posted before: http://aeltc.wimbledon.org/en_GB/about/tour/centrecourt.html

Tennis is being protected by snobs at the LTA as a sport for the rich, you cant question that.

To get the support of the LTA you have to pay to join a club, they give no help to ANYONE outside of this. This is why we are so shit at it - theres loads of kids who want to play tennis, but no access to coaching to keep them playing outside the 'tennis month' of june! Where i Live there are 4 free tennis courts and some more at the leisure centre (cheap), but to get coaching you need to go to the local club which costs a fortune.

I see. Pretty bad news then.

Yeh, were fecked.

strange thing to be crap at considering most of our schools have tennis courts, all my 3 schools had 2 to 6 courts and even a school i worked at had 2, not to mention the courts are used for various other sports which we are also crap at.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/Sparkynufc/wima.jpg

Pretty much finished for this years Wimbledon.

So the roof will be operable?

Well no, I meant that work had finished for the time being.

I still reckon the roof looks too low. I wonder how many matches it will be before we see the ball hit the roof, and when it does I guess it will be a player let?

Well no, I meant that work had finished for the time being.

oh yeah I didnt notice theres still quite a bit of work to be done on it

couple of quick questions
1. will pro games be played under the roof as i kind of agree with the comment about how low it is, but then why would it be designed in such a way,

2. is the grass movable to allow for the venue to be used as an arena style stadium?

thats all

it looks lovely as usual tho x

only around th sides the roof is low when the retractable part comes over it will be high over the actual tennis court

And no - the grass isn't movable and it will never be used as a general purpose arena. For the Paralympics they have to have the tennis event hosted elsewhere (tennis for the Olympics itself will be here) because they need a hard court for it.

And, obviously, the roof itself, when it's fitted for next years tournement, will only ever be closed when it's actually raining. Wimbledon itself is meant to be an outdoor event.

Centre court is looking really good, not finished yet as I was sat at the back today and there was a whole area behind me with no seats that I assume will gain some later as the rows were labelled.

Did not realize the new court 2 had begun, is a long way along am sure it will be 15,000 capacity next year and seems to have kept a standing area at one end. Is a new 4 stand court which has caused some rearrangement of other courts as it was build on old show court 13 which stand has been put on court 11 and I guess some renumbering next year as they are now missing a court 12+13.:lol:

Isn't the new number 2 court the old court 13 (or something like that). From the aeriel view on TV it looks almost complete. Although i haven't actually seen the plans for this court.

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/2148/article102826301b310f40nl6.jpg

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/6053/26044651174b2c391102odc1.th.png (http://img410.imageshack.us/my.php?image=26044651174b2c391102odc1.png)

Cheers, so almost complete but needs seats. Or does it get a roof aswell. Must be 3000-4000 capacity.

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/2148/article102826301b310f40nl6.jpg

Aaaargh! Isn't there a slightly bigger version of that picture? It would be great to be able to read the annotations...

I can't find any bigger versions of that picture, but here is what it says.

OUR FASCINATING PICTURE ALSO SHOWS:

1 CEDAR COURT: Residents here can expect to rent out their flats for up to £3,000 a week.

2 LIVING LOGO: A flowerbed displaying the year, 2008.

More than 10,000 green alternanthera are used, some sprayed purple to give the official Wimbledon colours.

3 HENMAN HILL: Officially Aorangi Terrace, this is a favourite spot for British fans, who can watch the matches on a giant screen.

4 NUMBER ONE COURT: The 11,000-seat complex opened in 1997, part of the first phase of Wimbledon's redevelopment.

5 BROADCAST CENTRE: About 3,000 members of the media from all over the world will be here during the tournament, most notably the BBC and American network NBC.

6 NEWSTEAD WAY: These unremarkable £850,000 four-bedroom terrace houses 300 yards from the grounds are rented out for as much as £10,000 a week during the tournament, to tennis superstars, fans and the media.

7 MILLENNIUM BUILDING: Built in 2000 on the site of the former Number One Court, it houses the players' and members' facilities.

8 COURT BUFFET: Wimbledon is the largest single annual sporting catering operation in Europe.

Fans will consume 150,000 glasses of Pimms, 17,000 bottles of champagne, 28 tons of strawberries and 1,500 gallons of cream.

9 NUMBER TWO COURT: This will open next year on the site of Courts 12 and 13.

10 CENTRE COURT: 15,000 fans can now watch the action in the new facility.

Next year, the retractable roof will be able to slide into position within ten minutes, meaning no more interruptions for rain.

11 GATE FOUR (there are 20 entrances): Up to 460,000 tennis fans will pass through the gates over the next two weeks.

Tickets range from £5 for a ground ticket, allowing access to Courts 2 to 19, to more than £2,000 for the men's final on Centre Court.

Thanks for the info, I had no idea a new court was being built.

Cheers, so almost complete but needs seats. Or does it get a roof aswell. Must be 3000-4000 capacity.

No roof according to this render. The capacity will be 4000.

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/6609/261292916832a749a178ocw2.jpg

I saw that as well, seems strange not to provide the fans with any cover as in hot weather they will be no shade at all.

The current Number 2 Court is uncovered, as in fact are all the outside courts.

Does anybody have any plans of Wimbledon's layout from years past?

Found this on bbc site which also has a court 12, court 12 has not neem there the past few years though just a walkway between 11+13 like the 2nd one from virgin radio.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/furniture/sport/wimbledon2000/layout/wimbledon_map.gif

http://i.virginradio.co.uk/images/pages/5395.1/tennis_parkingmap.gif

Guys no updates on Wimby Centre Court redevelopment?

I work for Byrne Bros concrete formworks who have poured all the concrete at Wimbledon over the past decade and ive been told there will be work atr Wimbledon for the next 5 years. Mainly building small seating areas around the outer courts.

Thanx for the update. Remember I do not live in Britain so it's u guys who should keep us well informed haha!

Hey guys!!! It's been nearly three months since the last update! Any piece of news?

Hey guys!!! It's been nearly three months since the last update! Any piece of news?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7785732.stm

These are the news posted by unfrequented.

CENTRE COURT ROOF SET FOR TRIAL

Wimbledon will host a ticketed event next year in order to test the new retractable roof on Centre Court.
The All England Club announced the event will be held on Sunday 17 May, five weeks before Wimbledon starts, but gave no other details.
The Daily Mail newspaper has reported that Tim Henman has been approached to take part in an exhibition match.
The club began work on the multi-million pound roof in 2006 as it sought to reduce rain interruptions.
The roof is translucent in order to allow natural light to reach the grass and takes 10 minutes to shut.
As part of the redevelopment, the capacity of Centre Court was expanded from 13,800 to 15,000.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7785732.stm

anyone got any updated pics on this? can't wait to see it in action! :banana:

On page 2, there's a hotlink of a live webcam. May as well post it here though.

http://www.siteeyelive.com/monitor/camputer41.jpg

The more I see of the new roof, the lower it appears. I guess its a 'player let' if the ball strikes the roof?

interesting point, KB.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1338/653860466_2027d1d2dd.jpg

i wouldn't worry too much about it, i doubt the ball would touch the roof very often and besides the roof will only be used if its raining. This years tournament hardly had any rain.

I'd imagine they'd have thought of this before spending whatever they've spent building the thing!

yeah, shit point KB. ;)

Who remotely cares as long as it does something about keeping play going during our wonderful 'summers'?

got to becareful who gets advantage if a ball hits the roof, a player running back for the ball who has little chance of returning it could smack it anywhere in the air and say it could of landed here there or anywhere!

will the steel work be painted green?

I'm quite sure that the All England Club will have a contingency scenario for that. But, I say again, the most important thing is to keep play going as much as possible.

Thrilling Nadal. Poor Federer. Will we have them in another final this year at SW19?

Probably.

On page 2, there's a hotlink of a live webcam. May as well post it here though.

http://www.siteeyelive.com/monitor/camputer41.jpg

I can see new seats at the top where the stands have been extended.

Hey can some one send me a link or copy of wimbledon lawn tennis club's documentation...???

i want it for my final year thesis...

testing roof with about 15,000 spectators on 17th of May

testing roof with about 15,000 spectators on 17th of May

That must be one hell of a strong roof!!

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

roof partially closed today on the cam:

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1510/camputer41.jpg

contrasted with:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/Sparkynufc/wima.jpg

despite being partially transparent isn't light going to be an issue here when this roof's closed, especially on gloomy days? or have i missed something here? will it be floodlit? :? and won't it heat up like a greenhouse? :?

still looks good though!

^ It lets most light through and there's a high-tech air conditioning system that restores optimal conditions within 20 minutes of the roof being closed.

ah, you beat me to it Monkey!

A key element of the design has been to allow natural light to reach the grass, while an airflow system will remove condensation from within the bowl to provide the optimum internal environment for the comfort of spectators and players when the roof is closed.

The retractable roof is divided into two sections with a total of nine bays of structural fabric — four bays in one section and five in the other. Each of the nine bays of structural fabric is clamped on either side by prismatic steel trusses. There are 10 trusses spanning approximately 77 metres across the court. The ends of each truss are supported by a set of wheels that move along a track positioned on the new ‘fixed’ roof of the Centre Court.

In preparation for closing the roof, one section is parked in its folded state at the north end of the court while the other is parked at the south end. A combination of hydraulic jacks and arms form the mechanism for closing the roof.

The mechanism moves the trusses apart and, at the same time, unfolds and stretches out the fabric between the trusses over the court until the two sections meet in an overlapping seam above the middle of the court.

The arch shape to the tops of the trusses helps the structure to withstand loading from elements such as snow and wind when the roof is stretched and closed over the court. The shape also assists in providing a cleareance of 16 metres for high balls.

The roof has been designed to close in under 10 minutes. If the roof is being closed for rain, court covers will protect the grass in the usual way while closure is in progress.

After the roof has been closed, play can resume within a period of between 10-30 minutes, depending on climatic conditions.

http://aeltc.wimbledon.org/en_GB/about/guide/longtermplan.html#roof

Does this mean we may begin to see night matches, like at the Aussie and US opens?

So we* can now have year round grass court tennis?

*correction, they: rich pleb haters.

It does look pretty dark with the roof partially close though. I hope everyones dones their calculations properly or we might have another wobbly bridge.

I'm very dissapointed with this roof. Why not have a light, high modern airy roof instead of a very conservative garden shed design like we have.

So we* can now have year round grass court tennis?

*correction, they: rich pleb haters.

Hahaha, don't know whether this would be enough to allow all year round grass court tennis. But probably the time has finally come to celebrate some matches at night at SW19 (worried groundskeeper says "how will the bloody turf behave being crushed at night?!"), anyway, most of our doubts and questions will have answers after May 17.
Wish the best to the new roof.

Probably an old piece of news, but...

(12 March 2009)

TICKETS FOR CENTRE COURT CELEBRATION SELL OUT IN FIVE MINUTES

The All England Club, Wimbledon, has confirmed that tickets for its event to test the new Centre Court roof, featuring Andre Agassi, Stefanie Graf, Kim Clijsters and Tim Henman, sold out five minutes after going on general sale this morning.

The event (A Centre Court Celebration) on 17 May 2009 will test the roof and air-management system with live play in front of a crowd of 15,000.

Ian Ritchie, Chief Executive of the All England Club, said: "The demand for tickets was truly exceptional and we are delighted to have a capacity Centre Court crowd for a great day on the 17 May".

Source: http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/pressreleases/2009centrecourtcelebration_12_03_09.html

I bet it never rains during a Wimbledon tournament again. Ever.

That sounds unlikely to happen. It has always rained in London during the Championships... what makes you believe it will suddendly stop?!

what makes you believe it will suddendly stop?!

Never underestimate the awesome power of Murphy's Law.

What about it?

http://i23.tinypic.com/23a00o.jpg

Look at these maps ("bird's eye")... u can see Centre Court redevelopment.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=51.433151~-0.210865&style=a&lvl=16&tilt=-38.6611047331572&dir=3.99336989641583&alt=2247.33462992776&cam=51.409483~-0.219514&scene=15681271&phx=-0.30583236312851&phy=0.0175689206577464&phscl=6.89598786357928&encType=1
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=51.433151~-0.210865&style=a&lvl=16&tilt=-38.1570311098134&dir=94.6589208061259&alt=2248.01604546048&cam=51.435202~-0.256108&scene=15676953&phx=-0.30583236312851&phy=0.0175689206577464&phscl=6.89598786357928&encType=1
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=51.433151~-0.210865&style=a&lvl=16&tilt=-39.4819886184189&dir=179.600667275526&alt=1867.54727376811&cam=51.452483~-0.219305&scene=15681018&phx=-0.30583236312851&phy=0.0175689206577464&phscl=6.89598786357928&encType=1
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=51.433151~-0.210865&style=a&lvl=16&tilt=-43.1280818182276&dir=263.288897159194&alt=2245.56909456197&cam=51.43514~-0.17825&scene=15677664&phx=0.272915030868923&phy=-0.553912007631407&phscl=5.23114175098465&encType=1

(AELTC Press Release) 2 April 2009
WIMBLEDON ANNOUNCES NEW CENTRE COURT DEBENTURE ISSUE

The All England Lawn Tennis Ground plc (“AELTG”), owner of the grounds at which the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships are staged, has announced that it is issuing up to 2,500 Centre Court debentures at a price of £27,750 each for the five years 2011-2015 inclusive. The issue is expected to raise net proceeds of approximately £59.5 million.

The 2009 Championships will be the first with a retractable roof over Centre Court. When in use, the roof is designed to ensure that tennis can be played and viewed in adverse weather during the summer. The AELTG has invested significantly in the restaurant and bar areas exclusively for the use of Centre Court debenture holders. The redevelopment of Centre Court has enabled the AELTG to improve the quality of the seating with the installation of wider, upholstered seats and, since 2006, the seating capacity has increased to approximately 15,000.

Debentures were first introduced in 1920 to finance the purchase of part of the company’s present grounds and buildings and the construction of Centre Court. Since then, proceeds from subsequent debenture issues have provided funding for many significant improvements to the facilities at the grounds.

A Centre Court debenture confers the right to one reserved seat on Centre Court for every day of The Championships for the five-year period covered.

The price of £27,750 each, including VAT at the rate expected to be prevailing at the time the instalment payments are made, is made up of a nominal value of £2,000 (repayable in August 2015), a premium of £22,000 and VAT of £3,750.

Source: http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/pressreleases/2009debentureissue_02_04_09.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/8010224.stm

21 April 2009.

WIMBLEDON UNVEILS CENTRE COURT ROOF.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club has unveiled the new Centre Court retractable roof. Andre Agassi, Stefanie Graf, Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters will be the first players to play under the new structure in the Centre Court Celebration on Sunday 17 May.
BBC Sport has confirmed it will provide live coverage of the Centre Court Celebration on BBC2, while singing stars Katherine Jenkins, Faryl Smith and Blake will also perform at the event.

http://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr240/Didoluva/centrecourt1.jpghttp://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr240/Didoluva/centrecourt2.jpg
http://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr240/Didoluva/centrecourt3.jpghttp://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr240/Didoluva/centrecourt4.jpg
http://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr240/Didoluva/centrecourt5.jpghttp://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr240/Didoluva/centrecourt6.jpg
http://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr240/Didoluva/centrecourt7.jpghttp://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr240/Didoluva/centrecourt8.jpg

Source: http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/index.html

21 April 2009.

CENTRE COURT ROOF SET FOR DEBUT.

The All England Club, Wimbledon, confirmed today that its new Centre Court retractable roof is on schedule to be ready in time for the Centre Court Celebration matches on Sunday 17 May, when Andre Agassi, Stefanie Graf, Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters will be the first players to play under the new structure.

Final testing of the roof and air-management system is being carried out.

The air-management system has a vital role in controlling and stabilising the internal environment within the bowl – essentially controlling humidity and preventing either condensation on the inside of the roof or sweating of the grass – either of which would make the court slippery and unsuitable for play.

Ian Ritchie, Chief Executive of the All England Club, said: “We set out to make Wimbledon the world’s premier tennis event; the tournament the players most want to win, the tournament spectators most want to come to and the tournament everyone wants to watch.

“The new Centre Court roof project has been a sophisticated engineering feat. Much of the testing is complete and we are now making final adjustments ahead of the Centre Court Celebration event on 17 May. That event is an important part of the testing procedure and will enable us to see how both the roof and air-management system actually perform under live conditions with a capacity crowd.”

NUMBERS...

8 litres per second of fresh air per person pumped into the bowl to manage the environment.

9 chiller units required to cool the air.

10 minutes (maximum) that the roof takes to close.

10 trusses holding up the roof.

16 metres - height of the roof above the court surface.

30 minutes – maximum time expected before play can start/continue after the roof is closed and the internal environment is controlled and stabilised.

43 miles per hour - wind speed up to which the roof can be deployed/retracted.

77 metres - the span of the moving roof trusses (width of football pitch = 68m).

70 tonnes - weight of each of the 10 trusses without extra parts.

100 tonnes - weight of each of the 10 trusses with all extras – eg motors, locking arms.

100 % of the roof’s fabric which is recyclable.

214 MM per second - maximum speed of truss deployment.

1,200 extra seats installed in 2008.

3,000 tonnes - combined weight (both fixed and moving) of the roof.

5,200 square metres, area of retractable roof when fully deployed.

7,500 Wimbledon umbrellas, needed to cover the same area as the retractable roof.

15,000 maximum spectator capacity.

143,000 litres per second – total amount of conditioned air that the air-management system supplies to the bowl.

290 million tennis balls – number that could fit in the Centre Court with the roof closed.

Retractable Roof on Centre Court - HOW IT WORKS

Type of folding fabric concertina, which allows the roof to be folded into a very compressed area when not in use.
Fabric (Tenara) is a special waterproof structural material that is very strong, highly flexible and at 40% translucent is not transparent for players/spectators but will let in natural light. Around 5,200 square metres of fabric used.
Key element of the design allows natural light to reach the grass – brought about by re-contouring the fixed roof.
An airflow system removes condensation from within the bowl to provide good court surface conditions conducive to the playing of tennis when the roof is closed.
Roof is divided into two sections, with a total of nine bays of tensioned fabric - four bays in one section and five in the other. Each of the nine bays of tensioned fabric is clamped on either side to prismatic steel trusses. There are 10 trusses spanning approximately 77 metres across the court. Ends of each truss are supported by a set of bogies that move along parallel tracks positioned at either side within the new ‘fixed’ roof.
In preparation for closing the roof, one section is parked in its folded state at the north end of the court while the other is parked at the south end.
The coordinated electro mechanical movement moves the trusses apart and, at the same time, unfolds and stretches out the fabric between the trusses over the court until the two sections meet in an overlapping seam above the middle of the court.
The arch shape to the tops of the trusses helps the structure to withstand their own dead weight and loading from elements such as snow and wind when the roof is stretched and closed over the court.
The roof has been designed to close in a maximum of 10 minutes. If the roof is being closed for rain, court covers will protect the grass in the usual way while closure is in progress.
After the roof has been closed, play can resume after a period of around 30 minutes, depending on climatic conditions.

Countdown to a new Centre Court - The Roof Timetable: CHAMPIONSHIPS ACTIVITY

2001
Centre Court Clubhouse renovated, new balconies added
Centre Court South Stand terracing replaced
Royal Box, TV/radio commentary boxes refurbished

2002
Centre Court terracing rows A-H replaced

2003
Gate 3: Demolition of old Wimbledon Museum Shop, Barclays Bank and turnstiles to make way for new Museum Building including Club offices

January 2004
Announcement of new Centre Court retractable roof, increase in capacity to 15,000, new wider padded seats (470mm seat spacing) and new restaurants/bars for public and debenture holders

2004
Gate 3: Museum, Turnstile and Club Offices building concrete structure complete to ground floor level
New ticket booths operational from Church Road

2005
Gate 3: Museum, Turnstile and Museum Building (Club Offices) concrete structure continues
Diversion of essential services under and around Centre Court
Centre Court terracing (rows J-T) replaced
Design work on the new roof, North and East Stands well advanced

2006
Enabling and infrastructure works start to strengthen the court foundations and prepare for air-management system
AELTC staff relocate to Gate 3 Museum Building (December 2005)
New Museum opens (April 2006)

2007-2009
Roof model testing carried out in Rotherham

2007
Demolition of East Stand and old Club offices
Removal of existing roof
Piling and construction of new East Stand frame and floors
East Stand rebuilt and terraces operational
No roof on Centre Court
Extra six rows of terracing completed
Centre Court restaurants/bars in situ but not open – used as rain shelters

2008
Installation of new fixed roof
East Stand building finished and fully operational
Refurbished North Stand including Centre Court Debenture Rooms operational
Completion of new public and debenture facilities within East and North Stands, including enhanced and extended dining/lounge areas for Centre Court Debenture Holders and 400-seat Wingfield Restaurant for public, 10 new hospitality suites
Capacity rises to 15,000 with addition of 1200 new seats
Installation of the first two moving roof trusses
Nº2 Court shell complete

2009
Completion of moving roof trusses
Erection and completion of moving roof
Fit fabric covering to sliding roof
Commissioning and testing of roof and environment of Centre Court.
Construction of new permanent Gatehouses at Gates 4 and 5
Retractable roof and air-management system operational.
All new wider, padded and more comfortable seats installed on Centre Court
Nº2 Court complete and operational.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The new Centre Court roof comprises two distinct roof forms: the main fixed roof to the perimeter of the Court which is surmounted by a translucent retractable steel and fabric “concertina like” structure.

The design for the fixed perimeter is modelled on the 1922 dodecahedron form which provides the distinct intimate Centre Court atmosphere with a droop down leading edge to focus spectators’ eyes to the action on the grass court. The use of the translucent fabric for the retractable element affords natural light into the arena and in part retains the open-to-air quality of the 1920’s stadium.

The relatively lightweight steel truss and fabric retractable roof is set above the fixed perimeter roof so as not to impinge on the spectators’ view and perception of the grass court in either the open or closed mode. It also retains the 1922 dodecahedron roof form when viewed from the terraces below.

The roof is designed to provide appropriate playing conditions when the roof is deployed in adverse summer weather conditions; specifically:

Light – the translucent Tenara fabric will permit adequate levels of light for play in most daylight conditions; where natural light fails to meet the levels required, it is supplemented by a bespoke design sports lighting system (permanently installed on the trusses), which has been designed to provide compliant light conditions both for play and for media coverage. There are 72 indirect, truss mounted sports luminaires and 48 direct truss mounted sports luminaires. On the turf, horizontal lighting level is 3,200 lux and on the vertical (for service and shots in the air) is 1,900 lux.

Wind – the roof can be safely deployed in wind conditions of up to 43 mph (69 kph).

Rainfall – the roof is designed to be weathertight. Rainfall on the fabric roof is rapidly dispersed to the two sides as the top profile of the roof is a curve; at the sides the water falls into gutters and then into the main surface water drainage system.

Internal environment – the air systems are designed to firstly control and then stabilise the internal bowl environment at the specified levels (24 degrees C +/- 2 degrees C, with 50% +/- 10% relative humidity based on ambient conditions of 27 degrees C with 72% RH; if ambient temperatures rise, the bowl temperature will be maintained provided ambient RH levels fall), to prevent condensation on the inside of the roof or sweating of the grass, and to provide a fresh air allowance into bowl of eight litres/second/person.

Seats – the new seats are padded and more comfortable. The seats are wider and the spacing between them (centre to centre) has also been increased.

Source: http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/pressreleases/2009centrecourtsetfordebut_21_04_09.html

21 April 2009.

BBC TO BROADCAST CENTRE COURT CELEBRATION.

BBC to broadcast tennis legends return to Wimbledon for Centre Court roof celebrations

BBC Sport will provide live coverage of Wimbledon’s Centre Court Celebration which will launch the new Centre Court roof, on BBC2, Sunday 17th May, 3.30pm – 5.00pm.

Tennis stars Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters and Tim Henman will play a combination of men’s singles, women’s singles and mixed doubles for an increased capacity crowd under the new Centre Court roof.

Sue Barker will present live from Wimbledon with Andrew Castle and John Lloyd providing expert commentary on the matches.

Extended live coverage of the matches, as well as live music from Katherine Jenkins, Faryl Smith and Blake will be available on the BBC Red Button and BBC Online www.bbc.co.uk/tennis between 2.30pm and 6.00pm.

Source: http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/pressreleases/2009bbccentrecourt_21_04_09.html

21 April 2009.

KATHERINE JENKINS, FARYL SMITH AND BLAKE TO JOIN AGASSI, GRAF, HENMAN AND CLIJSTERS FOR A CENTRE COURT CELEBRATION.

Singing stars Katherine Jenkins, Faryl Smith and Blake will join Andre Agassi, Stefanie Graf, Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters as part of the All England Club’s A Centre Court Celebration event on Sunday 17 May 2009 to test the new Centre Court roof.

A capacity crowd of 15,000 is expected for the event, which will feature (in order) a mixed doubles, men’s singles and ladies’ singles.

Tickets priced at £35.00 sold out within five minutes of going on sale, but the BBC have confirmed that the event will be covered (UK) on BBC 2 from 3.30-5.00pm (see BBC press release for details).

Event Timings

12:00 noon - gates open.
2:30pm - programme scheduled to start – roof to close (depending on weather).
6:00pm - event scheduled to finish.
Security/Transport/Catering

Only one small hand bag (15”x 12” x 6”) per person will be allowed into the grounds, subject to search, to speed up entry. No picnic hampers or hard sided cases allowed.
Limited left luggage facilities outside the grounds only.
Use public transport where possible. No public Park and Ride service.
Limited public car parking and catering available.

Source: http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/pressreleases/2009centrecourtcelebration_21_04_09.html

MORE ABOUT A CENTRE COURT CELEBRATION...

The All England Club, Wimbledon, have announced that a star line-up of Andre Agassi, Stefanie Graf, Kim Clijsters and Tim Henman will become the first to play tennis under the new Centre Court roof as part of its A Centre Court Celebration event on Sunday 17 May 2009.

The event is designed to test the new roof and air management system with live tennis in front of a capacity crowd of 15,000.

Event Name "A Centre Court Celebration".
Date Sunday May 17.
Location: Centre Court, The All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon.
Players Andre Agassi, Stefanie Graf, Kim Clijsters and Tim Henman.
Format Men’s singles, a ladies’ singles and a mixed doubles match all played to the pro set format – the first to 8 games, with a tie-break at 8-8.
Schedule of play Gates scheduled to open at 12:00 noon. Programme scheduled to start at 2:30pm. Event scheduled to finish around 6:00pm.

Tickets
Tickets for the event are now sold out.
Travel Use public transport where possible. No public Park and Ride service. Limited public car parking and catering available.

Security
Only one small hand bag (15”x 12” x 6”) per person will be allowed into the grounds, subject to search, to speed up entry. No picnic hampers or hard sided cases allowed. Limited left luggage facilities outside the grounds only.

ANDRE AGASSI
“I am honoured to be invited by the All England Club to take part in this landmark occasion. I have great memories of playing at Wimbledon and to be amongst the first to play under the new Centre Court roof is really exciting.”

Andre Agassi began his professional tennis career in 1986 at the age of 16. His performance on the court earned him 60 career men’s singles titles, including eight Grand Slam singles championships. Agassi is the only male player in the world to win all four Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal. Agassi retired from his tennis career following the U.S. Open in the summer of 2006. In 1994, Agassi founded the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation which is dedicated to transforming U.S. public education for underserved youth. Agassi is married to former tennis superstar Stefanie Graf, and the couple have two children.

STEFANIE GRAF
"There is no tennis venue more special to me than Centre Court at Wimbledon. It just doesn't get any better. I couldn't be more honoured to play there again with my husband Andre, and tennis greats Kim and Tim. It will mean so much to return to Wimbledon and see so many familiar places, relive so many wonderful memories."

Stefanie Graf graced the tennis courts, and built a career that spanned 17 years and 902 victories. She announced her retirement from tennis in 1999. Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles (seven at Wimbledon, six at the French Open, five at the US Open and four at the Australian Open). In 1988, Graf won all four Grand Slam singles titles, the Olympic gold medal and 96 percent of her matches. Graf was ranked No.1 for a WTA-record 377 weeks, including 186 in a row. Stefanie Graf is the founder of Children for Tomorrow, a non-profit organization focused on helping children and their families who are victims of war, persecution or organized crime. Graf is married to Andre Agassi, and the couple have two children.

TIM HENMAN
“Wimbledon’s Centre Court was always a special place for me and it’s just great to have the chance to play there again with the likes of Andre, Steffi and Kim. I think it will be a really fun day for everyone and the new roof is going to make it a fascinating experience.”

Tim Henman was born on the 6th September, 1974, in Oxford, England. Tim joined the Tour in 1993 rising to the Top 30 in 1996. In the same year he became British No 1 and won the Doubles Silver Medal at the Atlanta Olympics. By the time he reached a career high of No.4 in 2002, the combination of his Davis Cup exploits and four Wimbledon singles semi-finals meant he was firmly established as the home supporters’ favourite. In total he won 11 ATP singles titles. Keen to see tennis as part of a wider social fabric, Tim was Chairman of the ATP Charities Programme in 2000 and founded his own charity, Kids At Heart, also in 2000. Off court, Tim is a fine golfer and supports Oxford United Football Club. He married Lucy Heald in December 1999 and they have three daughters. Henman was created an OBE in the UK New Year’s Honours List 2003.

KIM CLIJSTERS
“To be asked to be part of this unique event with Andre and Steffi and Tim is very exciting and a real privilege. It has been ten years since I played Steffi at Wimbledon. My first and only match against her in my career. It was quite an experience. I was very nervous to play against my idol and because of the rain the match took two days to finish. The new roof will prevent that this time around.”

Kim Clijsters was born on 8 June 1983 in Bilzen, Belgium. She turned professional in August 1997 and during her professional career, won 34 WTA singles titles and 11 WTA doubles titles. She won the WTA Tour Championships singles title in 2002 and 2003 and the US Open singles title in 2005. Clijsters was twice a singles runner-up at the French Open and a one-time runner-up at the Australian Open. She also reached two Wimbledon singles semifinals. In doubles, she won the French Open and Wimbledon titles in 2003. Clijsters retired in May 2007 and is now married to American basketball player Brian Lynch who is based in Clijsters' hometown of Bree. They have one daughter who was born on 27 February 2008.

http://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr240/Didoluva/ccroof.jpg

Source: http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/celebration/index.html

Very nice cant wait , any plan for a similar roof for court one?:cheers:

Hmm... the organization at the AELTC have said that one thing at a time, so let's just try this new, renovated Centre Court and see how the new roof and air conditioning system deal with the requirements.

Nice one, they've runied centre court.

yeah the roof should have gone on number one

Unbelievable that it took 5 years :ohno:

Video here

http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=756&storycode=3139088&c=3

Good grief, how many steel beams do they need? were they trying to cram as many up there as physically possible??

It should have been way more open and airy, i think it looks terrible.

Also, won't the shadows it casts be a problem for the players?

...Also, won't the shadows it casts be a problem for the players?

The shadows won't create any inconveniences. Remember the roof is traslucent, so any possible "darkness" generated by the steel structure will just "vanish" before reaching either the crowd or the court surface.

So the steelwork is translucent? :|

Nice one, they've runied centre court.

people complain it doesn't have a roof, and then people complain it does have a roof :|

I'm surprised that they went for a greenhouse look when adding the new roof.

I expected a higher roof to make it much lighter and airy inside there, instead of the aircon greenhouse!

I have this funny feeling that the roof might be to low and the ball while in play can at times hit the roof.:nuts:

I have this funny feeling that the roof might be to low and the ball while in play can at times hit the roof.:nuts:

From the court surface to the steel structure the free height is of 16m. That shouldn't happen.

It looks like the roof has literally been craned on top. Centre Court was always ugly so it doesn't really matter too much though.

It would be easy to hit a ball 16m to hit the roof, but these players are professionals... there's no room for that Tom-foolery in their games! It won't affect a match.

Really. Stop talking things that won't affect the real game... :lol:
You should all be happy with this new Wimby achievement!

The roof is translucent, but at only 15%. Lights are used when the roof is closed.

Waiting for tomorrow to come... can't wait to watch the matches and to see the new roof...

May 17th, 2009.

A CENTRE COURT CELEBRATION: AS IT HAPPENED

19:28 One thing's for sure. The roof has gone down a treat with both the players and spectators alike. Agassi and Henman have both said the enclosure will only magnify the intensity of a match. Spectators are also enthused. Bob Watson of Sheffield said: "You could hear the contact with the ball and that struck me." Anita Clark, also from Sheffield agreed: "We didn't know it was raining. Sometimes air conditioning comes on and everyone is freezing but we were really comfortable." Janet Heath of Scunthorpe added: "It was fantastic. I think it made the atmosphere better, the acoustics, everything. It didn't spoil it." Attention now turns to Wimbledon which starts on 22 June.

18:46 Tim Henman, Kim Clijsters, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf are currently in the press interview room for a post-event press conference. We'll be posting an article on what they said later.

18:22 The Agassi husband/wife combo now go up to the box to collect their trophies. Agassi looks on adoringly as Steffi waves to her army of fans.

18:17 Henman and Clijsters are in the Royal Box receiving the trophy for their mixed doubles triumph.

18:14 It's clear class doesn't just disappear. Steffi said she enjoyed getting back into the groove while practicing over the past two months as she rarely plays tennis anymore.

18:13 Steffi admits she couldn't stop smiling during today's celebrations. Despite the initial nerves and the defeat, she said she loved being back on Centre Court ten years after her last visit.

18:11 Graf makes another plea to organisers for a wild card. She said she thoroughly enjoyed the experience and didn't want it to end.

18:10 Kim says 'Graf still has those legs' during post-match interview with Sue Barker.

18:09 Clijsters takes the match 6-4 on her fourth match point after Steffi wildly drives a volley wide. Despite the defeat nothing can take the smile off Steffi's face. She looks delighted to be back.

18:05 Graf comes to within one game of Clijsters after a neat exhange at the net. You can sense the crowd don't want this spectacular match to end.

18:03 Graf saves a match point and then gains the advantage at 5-3 with a deft volley.

17:57 Clijsters moves ahead for the first time in the match as she breaks Graf's serve after another close game. It's now 4-3 to the Belgian.

17:50 Clijsters brings the scoreline level to 3-3. We've got quite a tussle going on here. The crowd are certainly getting value for money today - and no rain interruptions!

17:48 Steffi squeals and then takes a breather after a lengthy baseline exchange which ends with the German netting.

17:46 Graf's forehand is still a lethal weapon as she fires a bullet past a helpless Clijsters as she approaches the net.

17:40 Steffi applauds a sizzling Clijsters backhand down the line.

17:39 Clijsters immediately breaks back to bring the scoreline to 2-1.

17:34 Graf proves she's still a force to be reckoned with as she moves to a 2-0 lead.

17:32 Graf takes a 1-0 lead after a lengthy opening game. If the first game is anything to go by it looks like this will be a great match.

17:27 Both players look keen to stay at the back of the court as they slug it out with interesting long rallies.

17:24 Steffi won the toss and chose to serve.

17:22 Steffi and Kim are warming up. The court is playing beautifully. Steve Redgrave has just been spotted in the crowd. He's always enjoyed a spot of tennis.

17:15 Boris says he wants to be invited to play when and if they put another roof on another court at Wimbledon.

17:14 Sue invites Boris Becker onto the court. He says he's glad that he wasn't invited to play as he would of been put to shame by Tim and Andre.

17:13 Tim and Andre are being interviewed by Sue Barker. Both players are giving the roof a big thumbs-up and agree it only adds to the atmosphere. Tim says he's looking forward to hanging up his racquet again and getting back on the golf course.

17:10 Agassi throws his arms up in the air after firing a forehand down the line past Henman to win the match 6-4.

17:09 Agassi has a third match point after Henman nets a backhand. Henman promptly wipes it out with a sweet volley.

17:09 It's now 40-40 on Tim's serve after Agassi thrashes a forehand return long.

17:08 Henman saves one match point much to the delight of the crowd.

17:05 Tim's being typically wily, choosing shots which are forcing Andre to move around the court a lot - a useful tactic when you're 34 and your opponent is 39. But the American is still able to chase down a lot of what is coming his way and edges 5-4 ahead. Not a service game dropped yet.

16:59 Interesting news from Spain, where Roger Federer has beaten Rafa Nadal 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the Madrid Open. Who's brave enough to bet against yet another rematch on Centre Court on 5 July?

16:55 It's 3-2 now and it's very noticeable that the laughs and jokes that dominated the mixed doubles match are few and far between. It's still all very friendly but could it be that these two old pros are taking this seriously?

16:47 Andre continues his fine form from the doubles by serving to win the first game. Tim levels but the American's serving looks as solid as ever as he moves into a 2-1 lead.

16:41 The two main men are back on court ready for their singles clash. Before they get under way, there's a surprise admission at courtside by Andy Murray, who reveals that he supported Agassi over Henman when he was growing up. Tim gives the crowd his best pained look.

16:26 World No. 3 Andy Murray has walked on court to rapturous applause and described the roof as 'beautiful'.

16:24 Tim Henman and Andre Agassi are up on Centre Court next.

16:17 Kim praises the court and tells Sue Barker there is no problem with the roof. Tim Henman agrees: "Once they close the roof, it is the most fantastic playing conditions, there's no moisture on the court. Andre quips: "My wife is so much better at tennis than Tim's wife."

16:14 But it's Kim and Tim that emerge the victors as Andre hits a ball long. The crowd leaps to its feet and the noise is deafening.

16:12 Andre Agassi earns the biggest cheer when he reaches what appears to be an impossible ball and curves it into the court. The game couldn't get any closer 5-5 on tie-break.

16:08 A double fault by Andre proves costly handing Kim and Tim a 2-1 lead.

16:07 The set will now be decided on a tie-break.

16:01 Drama unfolds on Centre Court as a a return by Andre hits Kimmy clean in the stomach. He apologises, Steffi pretends to hit her husband over the head and the pair check to see that the Belgian is OK. Kimmy is all smiles but we bet there'll be a bruise on her belly come the morning. In the next game, Andre holds serve and levels the first set at 5-5.

15:54 Steffi may not have played since 1999 but she still possesses the flair that made her a champion. The forehand is on fire, the volleys textbook and it earns a well-deserved kiss and cuddle from hubby.

15:43 Steffi and Andre hold serve. The women then show the men how it is done by indulging in a forehand-fest. Hitting deep, accurate balls, the men can only watch, hands on hips as the ladies do battle and decide against interfering. The set is now two game apiece.

15:35 Henman serves out the first game, which is filled with volley-dominated rallies. A sneaky backhand volley by Kimmy saves the pair a breakpoint, while a netted forehand by Agassi sees the Brit/Belgian duo skip off with the first game.

15:25 ...still in the warm up and Agassi just hit a serve miles out of court much to the amusement of the crowd. Steffi will be looking for a new partner if he continues at this rate.

15:23 It's beginning to spit outside and, for once, we don't mind! Steffi and Andre can't stop smiling as they warm up against Henman and Clijsters.

15:16 Our reporters have been chatting to fans around the grounds. Check out the photos at www.facebook.com/wimbledon

15:13 Centre Court is being dressed in preparation for the mixed doubles encounter, which will be one set.

15:04 Even our singing stars can't disobey the Wimbledon rules. Both Katherine and Faryl Smith are wearing flats with their glitzy evening dresses, not heels.

14:55 The concert under a concertina is in full swing as Blake, a four-man band who won Album of the Year Award at the Classical BRITs in 2008, take to the podium. The roof might be closed but it takes 20-30 minutes for the air management system to kick in. This ensures the court is bone dry.

14:45 The roof is now closing. It takes between eight and nine minutes and the voice of opera singers Katherine Jenkins and Faryl Smith fill the arena.

14:45 Five-time champion Roger Federer, has sent a message from Madrid:

So often we wait around, I know that can be fun but after a few days we want to see a match. That's why it's so great to have that opportunity now," he said.

"I am very excited to see how it's going to work. It's nice to see that Wimbledon has a taken a big step in the right direction

14:45 Centre Court is packed to the rafters as Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters step on court. Husband and wife duo Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf have walked on to the hallowed turf to a standing ovation.

Clijsters, who retired in May 2007, will be returning to the sport competitively at this year's US Open.

14:26 The grounds of SW19 are packed with former Wimbledon champions. I've just witnessed Pat Cash handing out sandwiches in the press office and Boris Becker will be watching former title-holders Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi from the Royal Box.

The atmosphere is now buzzing on Centre Court as the crowds settle into the new plush, padded seats. Sue Barker has stepped on court and the BBC is live streaming all the action from a Centre Court celebration.

14:05 Centre Court is starting to fill up nicely. In the middle of Centre Court a man is turning around very slowly with holding what looks to be a large pole &ndash he's taking a 360 degree panoramic photograph of Centre Court which we will be putting on the Wimbledon Website next week.

13:58 Matthias has asked what the running order is today. Well, at 2:30pm we will have some on-court interviews, before the roof closes. Faryl Smith, Blake and Katherine Jenkins will be entertaining the crowd with a selection of songs. At 3pm we will have a mixed doubles match, followed by Agassi v Henman and finally Graf v Clijsters.

13:14 Two people who will have more interest than most in the new Centre Court roof can't be here today for a very good reason - Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are contesting the final of the Madrid Open. But Roger has told journalists at that tournament that he has his own reliable source for info on all things SW19-related. The five-time Wimbledon champion said: "In Australia, Tim Phillips and I always have tea and talk a little bit. "He explains how it's going to work with the roof and he asked me what I thought."

13:02 Just had a walk around the grounds. Lovely gentle atmosphere out there with far fewer people than you'd have on a normal matchday. Even spotted Tim Phillips, the Chairman of the All England Club, walking around looking very relaxed. When I suggested that the atmosphere was just like the middle Sunday at the Championships, he said: "That's a very good description."

12:41 Matthias has asked whether the roof would be open if it is a sunny day today. The answer is no – new roof and air management system in front of a capacity crowd of 15,000, while the roof is on.

12:13 The sun has come out and the roof is open.

12:02 The gates are now open and ticket holders are being allowed in...

09:45 There's been rain in the Wimbledon area this morning and the Centre Court roof is currently closed.

09:09 Good morning! Today will be the first time we'll see matches under the brand-spanking new Centre Court roof. It promises to be a brilliant day, with husband-and-wife duo Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf in action, along with former British no.1 Tim Henman and the recently un-retired Kim Clijsters.

FINAL RESULTS

Mixed Doubles: A. Agassi/S. Graf 6-7 T. Henman/K. Clijsters
Men's Singles: A. Agassi 6-4 T. Henman
Ladies' Singles: S. Graf 4-6 K. Clijsters

http://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr240/Didoluva/ACentreCourtCelebration.jpg

Source: http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/celebration/blog.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article6308206.ece


From The Times
May 18, 2009
Heavenly opening for new Wimbledon roof

The new retractable roof on Centre Court at Wimbledon
Neil Harman

Compared with any other tennis stadium roof, only the famous eight petals of the Qi Zhong Stadium in Shanghai come close to aesthetic similarity.

The tin lids at the Caja Mágica in Madrid are incredible feats of engineering but far from easy on the eye and at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena, where the concept began, two bits of thick metal coming together hardly demand undivided attention.

Yesterday, high above the heads of three grand slam champions and Tim Henman - the so-nearly-but-not-quite man of the British game - the closing of a Wimbledon roof in seven minutes, four seconds drew 15,000 pairs of eyes upwards with the sense of wonder that normally overcomes a first-time visitor to the Sistine Chapel.

Katherine Jenkins, the Welsh soprano and Faryl Smith, a runner-up on Britain's Got Talent, were giving Amazing Grace their all for the official Wimbledon roof inauguration and, as it had been rehearsed, the roof moved with just that.
Related Links

* Wimbledon's great cover-up

* No more rain - Wimbledon's covered

* A sad day for soggy English stoicism

When the two sides of the structure eventually touched, a spontaneous round of applause burst out. Everything held together perfectly.

The air-management system that has been talked about in relatively hushed tones, did its bit and on walked Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters and Henman. Their reception was so warm that they must have felt the years dropping off them, although in Clijsters's case it does not matter so much because in August she plans to return to the WTA Tour. The Belgian will, with luck, enjoy a similarly warm Centre Court reception again.

For the three elder players, this was an invitation that could not be turned down, even if for the Agassis it meant flying in from Las Vegas, while Henman hot-footed it down the M40 from Oxford. Agassi has always been the showman, his wife less so, but they contrived a real moment of Wimbledon history; the first full-blown kiss on the lips before the first ball of a match was struck.

A mixed doubles match featured the happy couple playing another couple who could not keep smiles from their faces. The first rally was full of clipped volleys and delicate angles and the throwbacks were everywhere. The forehand from Graf had lost little of its precision length and crispness - at one cross-court exchange with Clijsters the boys just stopped and stared. Agassi took a hellish rip at a couple of forehands and bludgeoned one straight into Clijsters's midriff, which temporarily wiped the smile from her face.

Henman, who said he had not been this nervous for a long time, stepped in behind a couple of first serves to plant subtle volleys away. “Old school, Tim,” one man shouted. Wimbledon never minded that.

Agassi defeated Henman in their one-set singles and blew kisses to all corners of the court, as was his wont. Henman punched the air as if he should have won, which was his wont.

But Graf against Clijsters was the high point of the afternoon, for it was clear that the German, who turns 40 next month, had lost none of her court craft.

Clijsters said she could not keep her eyes off Graf's footwork. “She still has those legs,” the Belgian said.

But where did that smile come from? Never had such a contented wife and mother appeared in whites in the famous stadium, which is as beautiful new as it ever was old.

It did not quite match John Trewick's famously dismissive “you've seen one wall, you've seen them all”, when West Bromwich Albion pitched up at the Great Wall of China 30 years ago, but Andy Murray's contribution to proceedings was delivered in a manner both deadpan and impish. “It looks quite nice - compared to most roofs,” said the British No 1, given a cameo walk-on.

The main attraction watched over it all from above - unmoved. It was raining outside but the light shone in. No one fell over. Everyone loved it. Another day when Wimbledon showed the world how it should be done.

Q&A:

Q How high is the roof and what happens if the ball hits it and comes back down on the court?

A The roof is 16 metres high. If the ball hits it then it is deemed that the player who struck the ball has lost the point

Q Who makes the decision to close the roof and what information do they act on?

A Andrew Jarrett, the referee, has the ultimate responsibility. He is in regular contact with the London Met Office. If showers are forecast, the roof can be closed.

Q How long does it take to close?

A The roof itself takes ten minutes to close, with another half an hour for the air-management system to kick in before play can start. Once the roof is closed on a particular match, it will stay closed until its completion.

Q How much did the roof cost?

A Wimbledon are keeping that one to themselves — “we don’t do costings, sorry,” was the answer of Tim Phillips, the chairman of the All England Club, last month. But the general consensus is that the Centre Court renovations have amounted to about £80 million. When the first Centre Court was completed in nine months in 1922, it cost £140,000.

Q How many extra seats are there in the new Centre Court?

A 1,200, which equates to a full house of 15,000.

Q Will there be a need for any further renovations?

A The Club does not think it will need any more improvements for 50 years.

All that over a new roof. You should have heard the BBC commentary, it was as if the Olympic games had just started. If you ask me, get rid of the roof. Its not Wimbledon without the rain.

More exciting than the roof...Steffi Graf at 39, looking sensational and hitting the ball like its 1997.

Absolute class!

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0foF8dQ9vn2tc/900x.jpg http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/02nQepMfABaY9/900x.jpg http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/09JJdVy1iW0Wp/900x.jpg http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/036i5cI7n1erR/900x.jpg http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/02GB4yG6Ca9rz/900x.jpg http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0fpWaxWchA97F/900x.jpg

I watched the the game yesterday and i liked what i saw the roof feels good.
nice work.:cheers:

Amazing tennis stadium

This roof looks so cool and so bright!
very inspired and respectful of wimbeldon's spirit
:cheers:

WHYY didnt they make the rest of the stadium a bit more light an airy?

I still feel like i should be pissing about with a trowel when i look as these pictures... but i guess thats what the rich Tennis club members who get the Wimbledon tickets like.

WHYY didnt they make the rest of the stadium a bit more light an airy?

What, paint all the dark green bits white or something? That would be about as sacrilegious as spray-painting the white cliffs of Dover pink :lol:

Nice one, they've runied centre court.

yeah the roof should have gone on number one

That's right, you know better than the all England tennis club don't you. We need a roof on both courts, and more.

Loving the positive comments anyway.

WHYY didnt they make the rest of the stadium a bit more light an airy?

I still feel like i should be pissing about with a trowel when i look as these pictures... but i guess thats what the rich Tennis club members who get the Wimbledon tickets like.

There is more seat space and more seats, over a thousand in fact. The building dates from 1922, and a sensitive reconstruction had to be sought.

Amazing tennis stadium

Thankyou. How telling it is that us Brits moan again and Johnny Foreigner contributes positivity.

I'm normally fairly positive when it comes to new developments. Like the big new outside court. Court 1 is great too.

But this isnt. The roof is too low (the non retractable bit).

The roof's just the best choice against the rain at Wimby. Nice pics. Beautiful turf.

I'm impressed at the amount of natural light that gets into the arena - this was my only concern beforehand... What material is the roof made from?

The roof is too low (the non retractable bit).

Isn't it at the same height it was before? :?

I'm impressed at the amount of natural light that gets into the arena - this was my only concern beforehand... What material is the roof made from?

TENARA® Architectural Fabric (basically PTFE)

The roof comprises two styles of the fabric, the major part allowing 40% light transmission and some allowing 20%. The two styles are precisely placed to prevent shadows or bright spots on the court.

The unique characteristics of GORE™ TENARA® Architectural Fabric ensure that it won’t crack, crease or develop mold and mildew while stored.

GORE™ TENARA® Architectural Fabric is a fluoropolymer-coated fabric woven from ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene). It uses unique, patented double-coated technology to provide high light transmission along with the flexibility and drape of fabric. The high-strength ePTFE is unaffected by damaging UV rays, acid rain and other environmental challenges, providing durability that carries a 15-year warranty.

all that negativity.

It seems a perfect solution. judging from the pictures, the venue appears bright in a natural way. The turf looks phenomenal and most importantly they seem able to keep it dry under cover.

I hope Didoluva doesnt buy into all this negativity. There is just this element of reverse-snobbery that sadly flourishes too much in Britain today, where some people cant catch a cold without it somehow being the fault of an upper class elite bla bla.

Its nonsense. The same with the lackof facilities in general from earlier in the thread. As far as I know its simply not true.

Wimbledon is an extremly well-run and succesful tournament, that have managed to find what appears to be an excellent solution to a big problem.

Thomas - nobody has the right to talk about reverse snobbery when it comes to Tennis. The LTA is run for the benefit of its rich members. The LTA IS an organisation run by a rich elite and their ultra conservatism is the reason our only decent tennis player Andy Murray moved to Spain to make him the player he is.

Isn't it at the same height it was before? :?

Yeah I think so. What i mean is it was too low before. Its overhanging still. What im saying is they completely rebuilt the non retractable bit of the roof, but built it just as crap as it was before...

looks ace. having said that i'm english so i have to say the following: it looks fcuking shite, they should tear it down. ruins views of st pauls. this is london, not new york. they've ruined wimbledon. demolish it and build a carpark. boris for prime minister.

TENARA® Architectural Fabric (basically PTFE)

The roof comprises two styles of the fabric, the major part allowing 40% light transmission and some allowing 20%. The two styles are precisely placed to prevent shadows or bright spots on the court.


So only 40% of sunlight reaches the court? :nuts: Would they be better off just using glass? Does much artificial lightning need to be used as well?

So only 40% of sunlight reaches the court? :nuts: Would they be better off just using glass? Does much artificial lightning need to be used as well?

glass=heavy

...I hope Didoluva doesnt buy into all this negativity...

Don't worry, I won't. I love this tournament, and believe it is indredibly run, the only thing I would change is the type of lawn which started to be sown every year since 2002. It makes the ball bounce higher, and it is also slower than the old turf, which I know is still kept at the Queen's Club (that's why so many players say those courts are the best worldwide).

Thomas - nobody has the right to talk about reverse snobbery when it comes to Tennis. The LTA is run for the benefit of its rich members. The LTA IS an organisation run by a rich elite and their ultra conservatism is the reason our only decent tennis player Andy Murray moved to Spain to make him the player he is.



Your posts in this thread is just one long bitter shower of negativity against "them" the rich elitist pleb-hating snobs and whatever else....

The LTA does not run wimbledon.
Its run by the all-england club, in my opinion a highly-profesional organisation, that not only maintain a fantastic event as the worlds biggest tennis tournament but also portray an extremly positive view of Britain all over the world to millions of tennis-followers and others alike, while making countles millions for british tennis and the ever more desperate british economy crippled by people far less competent than the all-england club.

Despite this, do they whine for public funding? No.
The australian slam has sliding roofs over their main courts but you can bet they are pumped with tax-payer money. Do the all-england club demand this or complain? No. They dont even want to talk about money, they just do it. And that despite the significant difficulties involved with covering grass courts, which has never been done before with succes.

The german covered grass-courts failed miserably.
Wembley, for mega-rich football, received public funding for an extremly expnsive stadium before presenting an embarrasing cow-field of a pitch that keep falling apart.

Not for the all-england club. Years of research was done to be sure to up-hold the standards expected of Wimbledon. I am confident they will succeed. Representing the very best of Britain, the club - like the tournament - just oozes class and profesionalism.


As for the LTA, I dont know what they do or dont do, but frankly you talk about both the free courts where you live as well as additional cheap courts, then whine about lack of coaching.. please, what do you think its like in the rest of the world? What do you want ? personal educated coaches calling on all homes issuing personal invitations to free lessons. If that happened, wouldnt you just whine about the standard of the showers?

Sorry, I think its nonsense.
The lack of british tennis-success is in my opinion more linked to the simple fact that tennis is not a very big sport in Britain. With both cricket and golf there is more summer-sport than most other places. Couple that with a climate that is tricky for tennis and the fact that its a widely played sport with a very narrow elite its never going to be easy.

Looks like a good solution to me. The low roof adds to the atmosphere of the place.

Just wondering what the filtered light will be like on an already dark and gloomy day, the most likely time for the roof to be closed?

it has artificial lighting as well so im sure they'll keep it just as bright, although i guess it will be obvious that the flood lights as such are on but i doubt that'll be a problem for the players

100% of coincidence with thomasKing's last opinion.

Your posts in this thread is just one long bitter shower of negativity against "them" the rich elitist pleb-hating snobs and whatever else....

The LTA does not run wimbledon.
Its run by the all-england club, in my opinion a highly-profesional organisation, that not only maintain a fantastic event as the worlds biggest tennis tournament but also portray an extremly positive view of Britain all over the world to millions of tennis-followers and others alike, while making countles millions for british tennis and the ever more desperate british economy crippled by people far less competent than the all-england club.

Despite this, do they whine for public funding? No.
The australian slam has sliding roofs over their main courts but you can bet they are pumped with tax-payer money. Do the all-england club demand this or complain? No. They dont even want to talk about money, they just do it. And that despite the significant difficulties involved with covering grass courts, which has never been done before with succes.

The german covered grass-courts failed miserably.
Wembley, for mega-rich football, received public funding for an extremly expnsive stadium before presenting an embarrasing cow-field of a pitch that keep falling apart.

Not for the all-england club. Years of research was done to be sure to up-hold the standards expected of Wimbledon. I am confident they will succeed. Representing the very best of Britain, the club - like the tournament - just oozes class and profesionalism.


As for the LTA, I dont know what they do or dont do, but frankly you talk about both the free courts where you live as well as additional cheap courts, then whine about lack of coaching.. please, what do you think its like in the rest of the world? What do you want ? personal educated coaches calling on all homes issuing personal invitations to free lessons. If that happened, wouldnt you just whine about the standard of the showers?

Sorry, I think its nonsense.
The lack of british tennis-success is in my opinion more linked to the simple fact that tennis is not a very big sport in Britain. With both cricket and golf there is more summer-sport than most other places. Couple that with a climate that is tricky for tennis and the fact that its a widely played sport with a very narrow elite its never going to be easy.

Eloquently put - I agree with every word.

Sunday, 24 May, 2009.

WORK TO BEGIN ON NEW COURT THREE

The All England Club will start work this summer on a new Court Three on the site of Wimbledon's old Court Two, it was announced on Saturday.

The new court, which will seat 2,000 spectators, is expected to be finished in 2011.

Tim Phillips, chairman of the All England Club, said: "With its unofficial name of the 'Graveyard of the Champions', old Court Two has played its part in framing Wimbledon's history."

He added: "While acknowledging that contribution, we also have to consider Wimbledon's future and the time is now right to build a court with all the excellent spectator comforts that people have come to expect at The Championships."

This year's tournament will see a new 4,000-seat Court Two used for the first time.

Source: http://www.wimbledon.org/tennisnews/article_A13327711243104224A.html

Doesn't look too bad. The roof is only 18m high, I wonder if any balls will hit it?

Doesn't look too bad. The roof is only 18m high, I wonder if any balls will hit it?

the answer to that is, they might but thats with most closed roofs like the one in melbourne. however there are rules in place if/when this happens (i just can't recall what it was!)

Anyone seen any pictures of the completed new court no 2?

Look on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43555660@N00/3539844507/in/photostream/

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp95/C2225/Wimbledon/P1000200.jpg

wow looks good

Lovely turf... just a few weeks remaining... can't wait...

they will want a roof over that next lol

very nice :)

Many Birminghamers here... is there a slight possibility that any of you guys attend the WTA grass court event taking place next week at the Edgbaston Priory Club and post pics for an Argentine grass court lover? :lol:

if i could afford it Didoluva i would lol

Old No.2 court had 3000 seats...this new one 4000.

Old No.2 court is now number 3 court...however a new court 3 is also being made to be done in time for the 2011 championships.

I'm sad to see this court go. Hopefully they'll add some terracing to the new court, as the old court looks pretty cool with that terraced part at the back.

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/9692/tennismain.jpg

Nice view... looking southwards I guess?

Yes, from the old Number 1 Court looking at the old Number 2 Court which is now Number 3 :)

Thanx. Is any of the English forumers planning to attend this year's Championships?

The time for the new roof to prove its importance has finally come.
Here's a Wimbledon's male Championships preview for 2009:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2009/06/Wimbledon-Preview-Federer-Leads-Pack.aspx
And here it is for the ladies:
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2009-06-19/200906191245410737437.html

I went to wimbledon on the 24th june but could not get in, looking at the new courts it all looks fine i dont like the brown colour on the courts, due to player activities can they paint it green after every game.

I went to wimbledon on the 24th june but could not get in, looking at the new courts it all looks fine i dont like the brown colour on the courts, due to player activities can they paint it green after every game.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I went to wimbledon on the 24th june but could not get in, looking at the new courts it all looks fine i dont like the brown colour on the courts,due to player activities can they paint it green after every game.

You cannot be serious!

Wimbledon is an example of how good the Olympics are going to be, in my opinion. A world-class sporting event run in a world-class manner.

when the olympics come in 2012 will the normal wimbledon championship be before the olympics, or will it be scrapped that year because wimbledon is hosting the olympics tennis?
i suppose the grass will have enough time to recover from so much play til the olympics come.

when the olympics come in 2012 will the normal wimbledon championship be before the olympics, or will it be scrapped that year because wimbledon is hosting the olympics tennis?
i suppose the grass will have enough time to recover from so much play til the olympics come.

Wimbledon and the Olympic Tournament are separate and will both go ahead.

I assume, new grass courts will be installed in July before the Olympic Games.

Looking good.

The roof was a success by the look of thing , now maybe a roof for court one.

More work at Wimbledon.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/southeasternstar/sets/72157617909741484/

http://i45.tinypic.com/ohrezb.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/dnftwm.jpg

What was wrong with that court?

Not sure how recent those pictures are? Seems like the Autumn 'leaf drop' has missed SW19.

They seem to be the removal of the old court 2 and 3 grandstands as court 2 was moved last year.

They are building a new 2,000 seater court 3, the old Court 2 which had a capacity of 2,192 seats plus room for 770 standing. But guess it was showing its age now with so many new courts.

Plus will technically be bigger capacity than the court it replaces as it will replace the much smaller court 3.

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/7031/6a00e54ee7a84388330133e.jpg (http://img41.imageshack.us/i/6a00e54ee7a84388330133e.jpg/)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs482.snc3/26397_376330458731_15690358731_3793011_1309552_n.jpg

^ Thanks for those pictures. Why is the court raised so high above ground level?

^ Thanks for those pictures. Why is the court raised so high above ground level?

What do you mean? If you look at the first of RMB2007's photos, you can look through from the outside to the inside, and the court is at the same level...

Yeah its an illusion due to the high wall they have at each end of tennis courts, if that makes any sense. Had me fooled at first :)

Yeah its an illusion due to the high wall they have at each end of tennis courts, if that makes any sense. Had me fooled at first :)

The crane seems to be going down into and below the court surface though?

The new court 3 is built and ready for this years tournament, has lead to some changes round that section as now instead of a small court below which had a few benches there is court 12 with a big unreserved stand.
Also I am not sure if it is clear in the scanned version but Court 3 has an unreserved seating section. I guess to replace the unreserved standing section that used be there when court 2 was there.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a278/jamesarnold2002/Wimbledon/Wimbledon0002.jpg

I found this, a comparison between 1994 layout and 2011.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a278/jamesarnold2002/Wimbledon/Wimbledon0001.jpg

I am not sure of their future plans but the new layout looks like not much more can be fitted into a small space.

http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/6108/57467489052c5d2988aao.jpg

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/1189/capture1pm.jpg

Thanks for the photos, it looks like there will be TV screens so Hawkeye will be on this court as well?

Retractable Roofs
Just listening to commentators discussing the brilliance of the centre roof, but what are the chances of a roof being built on Court 1?

I would certainly provide a tough challange for the architect, to add a retractable roof and to keep the stand out famous circular shape of Court 1.

Anyone got any thoughts on what they would do - I think they would just make a more standard rectangular roof and fold the canvas roof like at Centre.

Court 1 would be tricky, but I am wonder if they can put one on the new court 2 or 3. Though I think with 3 it was designed that way so that the members enclosure can look in.

Wow, I hadn't realised how new No. 1 Court was!

Just been Googling the Old No. 1 court. I'm just about too young to remember this!

http://www.bobbundy.com/Auctions38/138UkWimbledon.jpg

The changes are quite amazing when you look at that photo, I never went when the old court 1 was there but even since I started going around 2000 there have been so many changes.

Next year will be interesting as they will need to get the courts ready for the Olympics.

Not to keen on the style of the new 2 and 3 courts, while I feel they are any times better than the courts they replaced, I just have a feeling the style too similar to the identi-kit bowl football stadium that's common in the UK.

I wonder if we will get a 3rd 10,000+ capacity stadium at Wimbledon, if build it with the folding roof then 25,000+ people could watch rain games indoors live Also it is another big show court that pros would be more than happy to play in, I have noticed some women getting annoyed at being pushed out of the big two courts because there isn't enough room to fit their games on Cnetre or 1 - a 3rd show court would allow more games to be played in a big game atmosphere and would keep the top ranked women happy - as well as thousands of fans dry in the rain!

I don't see where there is space for another large show court, they would either have to build on the practice courts at one end or across the road on the indoor courts.