WEMBLEY STADIUM ARCH – THE BIG LIFT BEGINS

28 May 2004

The Wembley Stadium Arch, football’s newest and most dramatic icon, has started to be lifted into position, marking a key stage in the construction of the new Venue of Legends.

Reaching 133m in height, weighing in at 1750 tonnes and with a span of 315 metres, the Arch will support the biggest single span roof structure in the world. It will be visible from Canary Wharf, 13 miles away, and will illuminate the north London skyline on match days.

Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL) and Multiplex, the lead design and construction company, will oversee the raising of the Arch, which has been designed by a consortium of leading architects and engineers, including Foster and Partners, HOK Sport, Mott MacDonald and Connell Mott MacDonald. The full lifting process will be undertaken in a series of precise stages, altogether lasting between four and six weeks, with movement taking place at weekends and at other times when the site is cleared.

 The Arch raising will be carried out incrementally and will include four key stages – these being at approximately 30, 65, 100 and 112 degrees. Constant checks will be made throughout the lifting process until it reaches its final position at 112 degrees. Given the complexity of the process, the lifting programme is dependent upon a range of factors – not least London’s changeable weather. (Please see“Raising Wembley’s Arch”for a more detailed description of the lifting process).

The Arch plays a crucial role in the stadium design, supporting the entire weight of the north roof, 60 percent of the weight of the southern roof and the retractable roof. The design of the roof structure means there will be no need for columns inside the stadium, ensuring fans will be able to enjoy unobstructed views of the action.

The Arch consists of 500 steel tubes, forming 13 modules and two tapered end sections, which are attached to giant hinges, embedded in concrete bases which are founded on piles 35 metres deep.  It has been fabricated gradually on-site over the last ten months. Companies and craftsmen from across the country have worked on the Arch, and the steel was produced in Britain.

Michael Cunnah, WNSL Chief Executive, said:

“This is a historic moment for Wembley Stadium.  The Arch symbolises the future of the Venue of Legends and will be a new sporting icon.  It is also a remarkable technical achievement, and a testament to the vision and hard work of the designers, engineers and construction workers.  This signals that, once-again, Wembley Stadium will be the greatest in the world.”

Ashley Muldoon, Project Director of Multiplex, said:

“We have made tremendous progress in the first 18 months of demolition and construction – so much so we are ahead of original construction schedule. Lifting the Arch is a key phase of the project but for the structure of this magnitude and complexity we need to spend an enormous amount of time, man power and precision, so patience is necessary when lifting it into place high above what will be the world’s greatest stadium.”

To read more about The Arch click here.