Case Study: The All England Lawn Tennis Club achieves rain-free play at Wimbledon No. 1 Court with Thornton Tomasetti’s retractable roof engineering

The All England Lawn Tennis Club opens Wimbledon No. 1 Court’s retractable roof in 10 minutes with Thornton Tomasetti

The All England Lawn Tennis Club faced the challenge of minimizing rain delays during its prestigious Wimbledon tournament. The organization needed to engineer a retractable roof for its iconic No. 1 Court that would preserve the stadium's tradition and protect the health of its unique grass courts. They engaged Thornton Tomasetti to provide structural engineering and design services for this complex modernization project.

Thornton Tomasetti implemented a sophisticated structural system to support the 1,000-tonne moving roof, which opens and closes in just 10 minutes. The team used advanced technology, including their proprietary Konstru software for coordination and daylight analysis tools to ensure grass health. The result was the successful completion of the roof before the 2019 Championship, where it was immediately used to prevent rain delays, allowing play to continue uninterrupted after sundown.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club