Wimbledon No.1 Court Roof in London. Courtesy of The All England Lawn Tennis Club.
Wimbledon No.1 Court Roof
Overview
Thornton Tomasetti provided structural and façade engineering for the redevelopment of the No.1 Court at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon. The project will add a new roof with fixed and moveable components; increase seating capacity by 900 seats on two new tiers; create a new two-level public plaza; and upgrade seats, concessions and catering areas, and hospitality facilities throughout the court.
Our structural engineers designed the fixed roof, the long-span trusses of the moveable roof, and structural modifications to the existing superstructure to support all aspects of the redevelopment. The structural design required integration of several important factors. The fixed roof must support the retractable roof components while letting in enough sunlight for the court’s grass, clear sight lines must be maintained and the design must conform to strict planning height restrictions. Fitting new structural elements into the tight space defined by the new building envelope and accommodating a very constrained construction site added complexity to the engineers’ task.
The cladding design features a combination of new vertical façade zones for the hospitality extensions, debentures and cores. New cladding for the roof and bowl areas was designed to complement the geometrical aspects of the Court. Generative modelling was also critical to developing the façade design within spatial constraints and coordinating with other disciplines.
Effective coordination was a key factor in the project’s intricate design. Integrating the retractable roof as well as extensive mechanical and electrical equipment into the fixed roof structure required careful design and coordination with the moveable roof consultants. Spatial constraints required active collaboration and advanced technology to avoid clashes and meet the project’s aesthetic and functional requirements.
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