Pull-up retractable roof recommended for Big O
CTV Montreal Dec. 13, 2012
A special committee on the future of Montreal’s Olympic Park has opened the door to the
installation of a retractable roof on the stadium not unlike that originally designed for the facility.
The suggestion was one of 22 recommendations that resulted from a year-long consultation with 4,000 people.
The roof, as originally designed by French architect Roger Taillebert, was meant to be pulled up and down by metal cables from the angled tower above.
A permanent roof was eventually installed but it collapsed under the weight of snow, leading to the permanent closure of the facility during the winter season due to concerns of another collapse.
Committee Chair Lise Bissonette said that advances in technology might make the original concept more workable.
“We’ve been told by many people that, given the fact that we’re in 2012 and not 1976, that maybe we should look again at the original proposal for a retractable roof and see if it’s possible with the progress of science and technology,” said Bissonnette.
The roof would have to be “consistent with the original design of the building,” according to the report.
The other 21 recommendations included one that would make the facility a centre for amateur sport.
The report also recommends more autonomy for the Olympic Installations Board and initiatives to increase tourism to the site.
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