ARCH OVER A SKYLINE

摘要

Hailed as one of the greatest sporting landmarks in the world, the illuminated Wembley Stadium Arch is a 1,033-ft-long, 436-ft-high structure that can be seen from anywhere in London. Not only does the arch provide the facility's visual identity, it supports the majority of the weight of a partially retractable roof. Four of the roof's 11 acres are move-able. Inside, the 90,000-seat stadium is the largest covered football stadium in the world. The arch is engineered to permit pillar-free views from all locations. The size of the original Wembley Stadium, constructed for the 1924 British Empire Exhibition, could not satisfy the local population's growing interest in soccer. Its replacement opened in 2007 after nearly a decade of design and construction. Architecture was a joint venture by Foster + Partners as design architect, in partnership with HOR Sport. The Mott Stadium Consortium provided consulting civil and structural engineering services.