Sports Venue Talk

Looks, feels and plays like grass

July 17, 2008 – 1:36 am

How would it be to see a large area of undulating land transform into a lovely green playing arena? Would not it be wonderful to have stadiums where there is no need to mow, fertilize, reseed or water the green. Would not it be nice to know as you run, you will not encounter any pit or puddle as you wade your way through opponents? Players of all sport can run with gay abandon. Synthetic turfs do look, feel and play like natural grass.

Synthetic turfs are becoming popular the world over. These fields are suitable for football, soccer, field hockey, baseball, tennis, rugby and other sports. 800 multi-use synthetic turf sports fields are installed in the schools, colleges, parks and professional stadiums annually in North America. (http://www.syntheticturfcouncil.org)

It is environment friendly. There is reduced labour cost related to maintenance, elimination of usage of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Control of insects and disease is eliminated. There is no pollution caused by chemical use and increases play time. It is durable and the fields can be used in all weather conditions. The fields can be used for over 2,200 hours more in comparison to natural grass per year There are more than 50 stadiums which are ten or more years old.

Rain, snow, sunshine or storms do not damage the turf. The most fascinating feature is it does not need weeding, thatching and mowing. Synthetic turfs save water, a football stadium with natural grass needs about 2.5 million to 3.5 million gallons of water per year.

Synthetic turfs are perfectly suited to places where it is difficult to grow natural grass. Synthetic turf costs $6-$9 per square foot. In the present day and age with erratic climatic conditions and shortage of water these turfs are an option for stadia managements to look at. The advantages are manifold.

• Reduces yearly maintenance cost
• Permanent lines—does not require painting
• Has uniform playing surface
• Safe—reduces impact on injuries
• All weather playing surface and increases playing hours
• Is UV resistant

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Sports Venues and Hotels: A Winning Combination

June 19, 2008 – 6:55 am

Conference at a hotel in the premises of a sports stadium seems unnatural. Not anymore, there are 1,300 rooms open at 11 hotels at major sports venues in the United Kingdom and the number is growing. The concept took root in the UK. Building hotels at or in sports venues is catching on in other parts of the world as well.

Given high infrastructure and maintenance costs, most managements of sports facilities are looking at ways to generate revenues throughout the year. Developing hotels at sports venues is an innovative approach being considered by some forward looking venue operators.

Managements of stadia are leveraging the assets created, improving on them, and exploring opportunities for revenue generation with state of the art hotels at sports venues

Sports venues provide an opportunity to synergise the hosting of sporting events with the operation of hotels at venue. This integration will bring in revenue for both. During important sporting events, the venue can maximize revenues for itself, a venue with facilities to accommodate sports teams, the accompanying entourage and visitors from afar. With good potential for revenue generation, this new business model is likely to spread all over the world. Also, there is potential for off season activities.

Other possible activities that can help boost revenues that accrue to such facilities are by:

•   Extending hospitality to corporates
•   Hosting sales and business conferences
•   Tapping into the short breaks leisure market
•   Allowing the venue to be used for banqueting
•   Operating as extended-stay hotels

The opportunity to develop hotels at sports venues is huge and is likely to grow.

Source: Research by PricewaterhouseCoopers (Pwc)

• http://www.pwc.co.uk/pdf/hde_sports_venues_sep07.pdf
• http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article29358-Why_Are_So_Many_Sports_Venues_Developing_Hotels_.html

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Birds Nest

June 16, 2008 – 4:22 am

Is it possible for a sports venue to resemble a birds nest? Is it possible for people to walk along the edge of the roof of a stadium? Is it possible for the roof of a sports stadium to completely open up? Can a hundred thousand people enter and exit the stadium at the same time? The answer to all these questions is in the affirmative. It is very much possible and the Beijing National Stadium promises just that. Come 08. 08. 2008 on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the XXIX Olympic Games, people will be able to have a unique experience.

Source: http://en.beijing2008.cn/cptvenues

Unique design
Beijing National Stadium is unique in more ways than one; it is not the conventional stadium that one gets to see with concrete all over with a dash of colourful seats. The architecture is one of a kind it is designed like a birds nest. Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron used the analogy of a bird’s nest and won the bid hands down. A striking feature is the shape - at one glance from any angle, the stadium resembles that of a nest due to the crisscrossed interwoven steel roof construction. A whopping thirty-six kilometers of unwrapped steel was used, with a combined weight of 45,000 tonnes.

The stadium can seat a hundred thousand people and when the wings open they leave no railing or structures. One may question as to why so much steel was used? The design needed it and each part of the grid support and compliment each other like a birds nest with its interwoven twigs.

Source: http://en.beijing2008.cn/cptvenues

Moving roof
Another feature of the National Stadium is the moving roof which is designed like two leaves. The most unique feature of the stadium is that spectators can climb to the top of the roof. It is possible for people to walk over a safe path along the roof. The central roof can be completely opened to a diameter of 130 meters providing a thrilling experience to people. The roof of the stands offers a panoramic view and can be opened and closed in 40 minutes against wind speeds of up to 50 km/hr. The roof is made of Teflon coated fibre glass.

Novel look
The stadium creates an image of a floating water lily with the bowl being partially sunken. The transparencies of the roof petals allow for natural light and there is provision to open for natural ventilation. The petals can open and close to suit varied weather conditions.

Key Facts

Name: National Stadium

Location: Olympic Green

Total land surface: 258,000 Sq m

Permanent Seats: 80,000

Temporary Seats: 11,000

Events: Athletics, Football

Post-Games use: The Stadium is to stage sports events at national and international levels, as well as cultural and entertaining activities

Groundbreaking date: Dec. 2003;

Architect/Designer: Herzog & DeMeuron (Swiss) and China Architecture Design Institute

(Key Facts Source: http://en.beijing2008.cn/cptvenues/venues/nst/n214078095.shtml)

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Supplier of the month

May 24, 2008 – 5:28 am

Sports Venue Technology takes the pleasure to announce that SMG Sportplatzmaschinenbau GmbH, supplier of special machinery for laying artificial surfaces at stadia and sports venues, is the Supplier of the Month for May 2008.

We wish SMG all the success in their business.

Posted in News, Suppliers, Surfaces: Turf and Synthetic | No Comments »