The Roof Opens 2011

So this is the first day of my new challenge - to post something everyday for National Blog Post Month.  Since I'm a teacher on summer holidays, I figure it shouldn't be too hard.  The only issue will be when we are traveling to Winnipeg later this month - my parents don't have internet access, so I will have to haunt the cafes of Winnipeg to keep this going.

For my first entry, I decided to highlight the new BC Place Stadium that is being built in Vancouver.  Not being a football fan and not really having paid much attention to the construction besides passing by the spider-like structure every day on my way to work, I must admit I did not really comprehend the magnitude of this project until yesterday, when Dave decided we should check out the public open house.

From the time that we emerged from the skytrain station, there were guides in hard hats with signs indicating the direction to go to get to the stadium.  Once there, railings similar to those you would see in a bank funneled people through the main entrance.  Inside, the first attraction was a scale model of the new stadium under glass.  You then entered right onto the "playing field" where a number of experts from the various companies involved in the project were on hand to answer questions and explain the construction process.

Not being well-versed in engineering or construction principles, it was a bit of a stretch for me to comprehend the explanations being given, but it was fascinating just the same.  I didn't realize what a state-of-the-art and innovative project the new stadium is.  The sheer size of it is mind-boggling.  One of the project managers said there were 1000 people working 24/7 on the project - that is truly incredible!  I imagine it will be the highlight of many careers to be involved in the management of such a ground-breaking project.

I also liked the fact that by renovating the old stadium, a lot of waste was avoided and a perfectly good concrete structure was not destroyed.  Even though it is already very expensive, the cost of building from scratch would have reportedly been twice as much!

The fact that the roof will let in natural light, and that it can be opened in fair weather (even in light rain, it would only affect those on the playing field and not the fans!) is another great feature of the new stadium.  The roof will open in 20 minutes and the fabric apparently folds up something like an umbrella.  Very cool.

In all, the event was worth the trip and quite eye-opening in terms of the significance of this structure to the community and to the construction industry itself.  BC Place is set to open on September 30, and I am sure that fans will be impressed!

If you would like see a slideshow of open house day, check out this link.  Enjoy!