Despite a late start the new Cape Town Stadium has been opened on time.Construction of the 68 000- seater stadium started on 26 March 2007, and the project has been completed on deadline two years and nine months later.Just over a week after the successful hosting of the Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™,the completed Cape Town Stadium (Green Point Stadium) were handed over to the city’s executive mayor, Dan Plato by joint contractors Murray and Roberts and Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon(WBHO), on Dec 14th. Plato praised the contractors and construction workers that worked on the stadium.
The concept design was undertaken by GMP Architekten from Germany, while detailed design work was completed by Louis Karol and Associates and Point Architects.
At a total cost of R4.5 billion the stadium can seat 68 000 people with the furthest point from the pitch just 187m away.
The stadium itself has 750 rooms and 3 000 doors, according to Mike Wylie, chairman of WBHO, who together with Murray and Roberts were the stadiums main contractors.
About 2 500 construction workers were employed in the building of the stadium and 1 200 artisans received training from the contractors.
After the World Cup, the stadium will be operated by Stade de France and the South African sports marketing company, Sail.
Plato said the stadium was “ready for the world” and to host its first World Cup match – between France and Uruguay on 11 June.
The sweeping silhouette of Green Point Stadium has forever changed the face of the surrounding Green Point Common. The design and construction of Green Point Stadium’s roof is unique. Its basic structure resembles a bicycle wheel, open in the middle, with 72 cables linking the outer and inner rings of the circle, which were slowly tightened to raise the roof from ground level to its present height.
For the eight World Cup matches to be played at the venue, the stadium will have a seating capacity of 68 000, including 13 000 temporary seats, which will be removed after wards.
jennytharayil
http://www.worldcuplive2010.com/faq/the-news/99-grennpontstadiumrwady