Exposing the field to sunlight would allow real grass to grow there under optimal conditions. Operators of Montreal’s Olympic Stadium and Vancouver’s BC Place say they are interested in exploring opportunities to host NFL games. Only clients who use the installations at the Sports Centre (open swim, Wibit Sundays, training, classes, and gym members) can take advantage of preferential Olympic Stadium Sports Centre parking rates. The new roof does not open. The Olympic Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal, Quebec, built as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics. ft. Outside length of the Stadium (without the Tower) 284 m: 931 ft. Outside width of the Stadium: 245 m: 804 ft. Outside perimeter of the Stadium: 885 m: 2,905 ft. Total surface area of the roof: 23,270 m 2: 250,476 sq. A solution needs to be found soon or else big events won’t happen and the stadium will only prove more of a burden. Along with the cost overruns, the stadium was not completed on time, with construction on the famous retractable … Whatever the final plan, it cannot detract from French architect Roger Taillibert's original design, the minister responsible for the RIO, Caroline Proulx, told Radio-Canada. The cost of a retractable roof on Olympic Stadium, which will be in place when Montreal hosts soccer games for the 2026 World Cup, will be between $200 million and $300 million. The provincial body that runs Olympic Stadium for the Quebec government and the provincial Crown corporation that runs BC Place said in separate statements Wednesday the NFL could be a good fit for their facilities. Comments are welcome while open. The Quebec government has given the go-ahead to replace the dilapidated roof of Montreal's Olympic Stadium, Radio-Canada has learned. The stadium’s total cost has exceeded $1 billion. The completion date for the Olympic Stadium's planned $250-million roof replacement is being pushed back a year, officials say, to make sure they get it right this time. Sign up for our newsletter to get exclusive content, contests, and perks direct to you. Montreal Olympic photo flashback: Stadium was roofless at 1976 Games A leaning tower and retractable roof were to be highlights of the Montreal’s Olympic Stadium in … Changing it would be ''as if you went to touch up the Eiffel Tower, but then took part of it away,'' Proulx said. The project also aims to preserve the heritage character of the Olympic Stadium, one of Québec’s great architectural monuments. This led to the construction of a new stadium that would be used for the Olympics and then the Expos. The stadium that's dominated the skyline of Montreal's east end for more than 40 years had no roof when the 1976 Olympics were held — the tower meant to hold it up wasn't finished. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. The Olympic Park has two souvenir shops: one at the summit, and one open in high season, located in the Tourist Hall at the foot of the Montréal Tower. Gerkan, Marg and Partners (GMP), a German company that specializes in constructing stadiums, has been working with RIO officials to figure out the best solution. In 2017, the Quebec government approved the quarter-billion dollar budget for a new roof, to be installed by 2023 — leaving Montreal with time to spare before the city plays host to some of the 2026 World Cup matches. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. The Olympic Stadium is the largest covered amphitheatre in Québec, with seating for 56,000 spectators in the stands and up to 60,000 when the floor is used.. Montreal’s never-ending saga of the Olympic Stadium and its roof rages on. The second roof proved no less vulnerable to damage — ripping 7,453 times in the decade between 2007 and 2017. As early as 1963, Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau sought to build a covered stadium in Montreal. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. (NOTE: Because of the uniqueness and complexity of Olympic Stadium, especially its roof, the above diagrams employ a variety of means to convey how it … Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec was slated to be the first outdoor retractable roof stadium at its debut for the 1976 Summer Olympics. To take advantage of the referential rate: Collect your ticket from the the pay station near the entrance by pushing the button. RIO says that potential companies need to respect the stadium’s design when pitching new roofing ideas. GMP is behind several major stadium projects around the world, including BC Place in Vancouver. That roof was removed for good in 1998, making the stadium an open-air venue for several months, before it was replaced by a non-retractable, opaque roof later that year. "Our specialists are seriously looking into this solution to see if it is technically feasible, and at what cost we can do it," said Landry. This place is really cool! The board would then present the Quebec government with the winning firm’s plans and the project would be unveiled to the public in 2021. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. The Games of the XXI Olympiad took place between July 17 and August 1, 1976.The Opening Ceremony was held at the spectacular Montreal Olympic Stadium. However, he said, the focus must be on quality. The Montreal Games will go on. Staying on budget is critical, however, he said. Not only did construction of its base run vastly over time and budget, its special features – the Montreal Tower and retractable roof – made it an ongoing money pit. Light the flame and sound the trumpets. The roof’s retractable option never consistently worked and only open and closed 88 times before it was permanently closed in 1998. The possibility of making the third roof retractable once again is under study, Landry said. ''We have to keep Mr. Taillebert's design, absolutely. Being able to keep it open all the time would be a ''game changer,'' said the borough mayor of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Pierre Lessard-Blais. Blue Jays return to face the Yankees for two games in Montreal next spring, Montreal’s Olympic Stadium makes cameo in this retro-video game remake, Montreal’s Olympic Stadium getting a retractable roof for 2026 World Cup. No steel structures to uphold the roof will be permitted, honouring the design of Roger Taillibert, the French architect who designed the Olympic Stadium for the 1976 Olympic Games. A new Olympic Stadium roof won’t be retractable but will possibly allow in natural light, according to a call for tenders released by the Olympic Installation Board on Tuesday. The retractable fabric roof t… A covered stadium was thought to be all but essential for Drapeau's other goal of bringing a Major League Baseball team to Montreal, given the cold weather that can affect the city in April, October and sometimes even September. However, Olympic Stadium officials said that the new top won’t be required to be retractable. "The first two roofs did not work," Maurice Landry, in charge of construction and maintenance for the Régie des installations olympiques (RIO), told Radio-Canada. However, plagued by construction problems, the roof was not installed until 1987, and was not retractable until 1988. This is about 1990 percent higher than the original budget of $148,667,400. 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