| |
|
This is one of the most innovative stadiums built in recent years. It has a retractable roof, and features a grass pitch that slides in and out of the stadium as needed. The sliding pitch solves the problem of keeping grass alive within a domed stadium, and also allows the stadium to be used for non-sporting events such as concerts without damaging the pitch.
The concept of a slide-out pitch has been repeated in the Sapporo Dome in Japan, built for the 2002 World Cup and currently used for baseball and football; however, the Sapporo Dome has a fixed roof.
The new stadium now under construction in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals is based more closely on Arena AufSchalke, as it features both a retractable roof and a slide-out pitch.