Wembley Stadium
Wembley, London, England · 2003-2007 · £798 million (2007)
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchIconic arch: The 133-meter tall arch became the stadium's new icon, eliminating the need for supporting columns. - Retractable roof: Designed to allow sunlight and aid pitch growth. - Project management issues: The project was plagued by poor project management, scope changes, and disputes, leading to delays and increased costs.
Key engineering challenges
Designing and constructing the 315m span arch, the world's longest unsupported roof structure. - Integrating a partially retractable roof system. - Managing complex project with multiple stakeholders and funding sources. - Significant cost overruns and delays during construction.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- The Football Association (FA), Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL)
- Lead contractor
- Multiplex
- Lead designers
- HOK Sport (now Populous), Foster + Partners (arch concept)
- Project type
- new build
- Scale
- Capacity: 90,000 (all-seater), Arch span: 315 m (1,033 ft), Arch height: 133 m (436 ft), Partially retractable roof
- Disciplines
- Structural Engineering; Civil Engineering; Architecture; Building Services Engineering
- Standards & frameworks
- UEFA Elite stadium standards; UK Building Regulations (implied)
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wembley_Stadium; https://populous.com/showcases/wembley-stadium; https://www.goconstruct.org/news-and-features/iconic-construction-projects-wembley-stadium