The enormous Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia could be fitted with a retractable roof, according to the stadium’s chief executive, Stephen Gough.
Gough told News Limited that a lightweight roof would improve the versatility of the venue, which hosts the Australian Football League grand final of the top-tier Australian rules competition.
However, he acknowledged that the huge size of the 100,000-capacity stadium – which measures 174m by 148m – would make it one of the most complex stadium renovation projects ever witnessed.
“There is no stadium that is that size that has a retractable roof,” Gough said. “We are just thinking that the advances in technology of what you have seen with roofs on stadiums all around Europe and America, admittedly smaller, a lightweight structure would be the answer.”
Gough, who will leave his role in 2017, added: “I think technology is on our side here and the engineers are working on all sorts of solutions about that.
“You could have a lightweight, retractable roof if it was felt that was what we wanted to have. I think the opportunities are quite enormous.”
The last major renovation work took place on the venue in 2005.
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