Retractable seating at the OS

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gavrosh
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by gavrosh »

im increasingly coming around to the idea that this "10 mil plan for retractable seating" has put everyone entirely off the scent. What if instead they built a tight 15k or so squared off stadium using demountable seating around the pitch, which basically rose to the same height of the current lower tier. they could then pull a whopping great tarpaulin between the edges of that and the top of the lower tier, and fill that with camera friendly advertising. So what you'd have is a 'core' stand around the pitch and then the wider upper tier further out, the two seperated with a flat surface. If youve seen pictures of the Etihad stadium in Melbourne you might get more of an idea of what im talking about. When that's in football mode, theres a big gap between the lower tier and the wider bowl. We dont have the ability to put in the extendable/ retracable stands there, so instead think demountable stands, with the gap. The only issue i can think of with that is getting the demountable stands out of the main stadium for summer mode.
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Sweeney Bod »

gavrosh wrote:im increasingly coming around to the idea that this "10 mil plan for retractable seating" has put everyone entirely off the scent. What if instead they built a tight 15k or so squared off stadium using demountable seating around the pitch, which basically rose to the same height of the current lower tier. they could then pull a whopping great tarpaulin between the edges of that and the top of the lower tier, and fill that with camera friendly advertising. So what you'd have is a 'core' stand around the pitch and then the wider upper tier further out, the two seperated with a flat surface. If youve seen pictures of the Etihad stadium in Melbourne you might get more of an idea of what im talking about. When that's in football mode, theres a big gap between the lower tier and the wider bowl. We dont have the ability to put in the extendable/ retracable stands there, so instead think demountable stands, with the gap. The only issue i can think of with that is getting the demountable stands out of the main stadium for summer mode.
If we could recreate the Eithad, then I would be a happy chappy. However, I refer you to my earlier post in which I said we are doing this on the cheap. To get anywhere near the Eithad we would have to demolish the only "permanent" part of the stadium
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by gavrosh »

I appreciate youre saying that we are doing this on the cheap - of course we are, we never had the money to do anything but. However, if a demountable seating system placed in front of the permanent lower tier would to all intents and purpouses recreate the look and feel of the Etihad, thats all there is to it. What's your objection?
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Wembley1966
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Wembley1966 »

gavrosh wrote:I appreciate youre saying that we are doing this on the cheap - of course we are, we never had the money to do anything but. However, if a demountable seating system placed in front of the permanent lower tier would to all intents and purpouses recreate the look and feel of the Etihad, thats all there is to it. What's your objection?
The Etihad in Melbourne was designed and built to have the retractable seating (which is what we originally suggested and offered £100m towards the development of the Olympic Stadium). However putting in demountable seating closer to the pitch would obscure the view of much of the upper tier as well. If it only rose to the same height as the existing lower tier it wouldn't hold enough people to justify the cost of doing it.

The only way to have decent seating and an athletics track is to dig down and create a new bottom tier below the existing lower tier that was retractable. As Sweeney said, to do that you've have to demolish the only permanent part of the stadium.
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Mr_Andersonn »

I think we are missing the point here on what gavrosh is suggesting.

By building a temp demountable rectangular stand around the pitch to a maximum height of the lower tier will not obscure any view from the upper tiers. All he is suggesting is its built much closer to the pitch. Stretch a tarpauling from the temp stands to the base of the upper tier which will make for some excellent advertising space and get rid of the unsightly gaps between the stands. I reckon the capacity of the temp stands would be approx 15,000 - 20,000

There are a few issues with this though:

1) The additional cost of the roof to cover the new stands
2) The length of time it will take to dismount these stands
3) Storage of the new stands
4) Won't the weight and structure of the stands damage the track surface?
5) The stadium will also be used for concerts etc so we may need to be able to change from football mode during the season

It would be cool to see a render of this though and I know just the man :) beejezus!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by gavrosh »

That's the spirit! So what im talking about is a demountable system that sits 20-40 metres in front of the permanent lower tier. The following link shows how the Melbourne system works. Obviously it would be better if this were built in, but give its not, could it be 'imported' for nine months of the year?

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=402290" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

With regards to concerns about the track - there must be some way of protecting it. Also, if the owners are looking at 'retractable' seating as they say they are, then the costs of extending the roof muct be factored into their assumptions. The big issue muct be ease of in/destallation and getting it out of the stadium. That said there are about huge entrances at gound level if you at this:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthrea ... 6&page=185" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Rays Rock »

Hi Gavrosh,
The arrangement that you talk about with the lower tier was an idea that I put to Ian tomkins over a year ago. I even came up with some drawings of how this could work.
When I met up with him he didn't seem that intrested to be honest. He more than likely either put the drawings straight in the bin, or in his filing cabinet never to see the light of day again.
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by gavrosh »

Rays Rock wrote:Hi Gavrosh,
The arrangement that you talk about with the lower tier was an idea that I put to Ian tomkins over a year ago. I even came up with some drawings of how this could work.
When I met up with him he didn't seem that intrested to be honest. He more than likely either put the drawings straight in the bin, or in his filing cabinet never to see the light of day again.
Probably had other things on his mind, I reckon. Anyway what we do know is that a £10 million solution has been proposed (unless theyre just lying) so I suppose this is a game of trying to second guess that. I reckon with that budget some sort of temporary configuration makes more sense than a dig down (certainly more so than a retractable retro-fit).
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by mywhufc »

Easy way out is to dig down put in permanant seating around pitch which is obviously lower,then remove the temporary top tier, put this round the warm up track, athletics get their stadium in the Olympic park we get a proper football stadium. Job done.
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Mr_Andersonn »

mywhufc wrote:Easy way out is to dig down put in permanant seating around pitch which is obviously lower,then remove the temporary top tier, put this round the warm up track, athletics get their stadium in the Olympic park we get a proper football stadium. Job done.
Sounds expensive and we keep hearing talk of water table etc.

I am coming round to the idea of temp seating behind the goals but would like to see some renders...
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by mywhufc »

Mr_Andersonn wrote:
Sounds expensive and we keep hearing talk of water table etc.

I am coming round to the idea of temp seating behind the goals but would like to see some renders...
the clubs spend on this is only 20 million, what if it cost an extra 30 million to dig down, is it not worth it, over the life time of the stadium the club can afford it.
If you put temp seating behind the goals the stadium straight away will look ****, it won't look like the Olympic stadium .
The club should either do it properly or not do it at all.
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Mr_Andersonn »

Agree with you there but I don't think it will happen. Temp stands will look awful if they adopt high stands similar to cagliari, but I think they will look okay if built in a similar ratio to what's there now. It will just bring fans closer behind the goals.
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by EvilC »

mywhufc wrote: The club should either do it properly or not do it at all.
Given the budget that we have I think that was pretty much ruled out when we made our bid.
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by DD »

Whufc. When did the club say that retractable seating wasn't an option? Seemed to remember them saying they were looking at it
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Sweeney Bod »

DD wrote:Whufc. When did the club say that retractable seating wasn't an option? Seemed to remember them saying they were looking at it
When I lived that way, I would pass the Mercedes showroom on the London Road and "look at" a stunning CLK Class Merc in black. "Looking at it" did not mean I could afford it.
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by gavrosh »

Sweeney Bod wrote:When I lived that way, I would pass the Mercedes showroom on the London Road and "look at" a stunning CLK Class Merc in black. "Looking at it" did not mean I could afford it.
If they are looking into some sort of seating option, and if it does, as stated cost £10 mil, then that aint exactly ostentatious. I think we paid more to Kieron Dyer in terms of salary over the time he was here than that. That's ostentatious...
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Sweeney Bod
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Sweeney Bod »

gavrosh wrote:
If they are looking into some sort of seating option, and if it does, as stated cost £10 mil, then that aint exactly ostentatious. I think we paid more to Kieron Dyer in terms of salary over the time he was here than that. That's ostentatious...
Mate, if you think we can demolish the lower tier bowl, install a mechanically retractable seating system and extend the roof to cover for £10m then can you send the building company to me, I need a conservatory :wink:
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by gavrosh »

Not what I was saying at all - look above. What I was talking before about is temporary seating being installed, say 20 metres in from the lower tier, which rises to the same level as the lower tier and does not obscure the view from the upper tier. That wouldnt cost too much and wouldnt look too ****.
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by Sweeney Bod »

gavrosh wrote:Not what I was saying at all - look above. What I was talking before about is temporary seating being installed, say 20 metres in from the lower tier, which rises to the same level as the lower tier and does not obscure the view from the upper tier. That wouldnt cost too much and wouldnt look too sh*t.
In my earlier post, I mentioned that are lots of people that are getting the terms retractable and temporary seating mixed up. For clarity:

Retractable seating - Is seating that can be moved backwards and forwards to change the dimensions and seating distances of the lower tier seating area. This would involve demolishing the current lower bowl and the creation of a system that would allow the seating tier to move.

Temporary seating - A fairly fixed structure that would be assembled over the existing running track and dismantled when athletics needs to be hosted at the stadium.

Your solution now seems more likely to fit into the temporary seating option.
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Re: Retractable seating at the OS

Post by mywhufc »

DD wrote:Whufc. When did the club say that retractable seating wasn't an option? Seemed to remember them saying they were looking at it
In conversation with the club, also I'm sure if you read when the club asked for solutions for this is was said any seating would have t be removeable in 3 days notice. You don't need 3 days notice with retractable.
Any way it has been pointed out many times that the lower tier is a permanent structure, to put in retractable seating would cost a lot more than the 10 million the club say they have set aside.
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