Massive Remodeling Plan For Wimbledon 2020

Written by: Staff on 23rd April 2013

Massive Remodeling Plan For Wimbledon 2020 |

The All England Club today announced a massive remodeling plan under the all-encompassing banner of Wimbledon 2020 that predictably will see a new retractable roof added to No.1 Court but also involve a complete remodeling of large parts of the tournament site.

At the end of the 2011 Championships, the All England Club commissioned the building and land development company Grimshaws to develop a master plan to guide further long term changes of the grounds and facilities.

Outside courts and practice courts will be cantilevered, the Aarongi Park pavilion for the practice courts will be demolished along with the club’s indoor courts and the entire corporate hospitality area, that currently uses marquees, will be flattened and rebuilt with new permanent structures.

The players will get far more spacious and luxurious facilities and several facilities will be based underground in new cavernous structures.

Chairman Philip Brook said: “We believe that these proposals offer an exciting future for the Club and the Championships, and one that will enhance Wimbledon’s position as the finest stage in world tennis.

Brook expects planning and design of the roof for No.1 Court, opened in 1997, to take two years with a further three years of building. He is resigned to the fact that one year will see No.1 Court spectators being subjected to the elements with no roof at all but insists it will still be used for the Championships.

The current projected date for the No.1 Court with roof to be operational is 2019 but Brook was insistent the tournament would remain a day time one session event and regular night play under floodlights would not be entertained even though two show courts would be fitted with requisite facilities.

Brook insisted: “The proposals being contemplated will be brought forward in a phased and incremental manner by a process of a detailed study, refinement and consultation to enable the key objectives of the vision to be achieved over a 10 to 20 year period.”

Topics: All England Club, British tennis news, Sports, Wimbledon tennis tournament