The All England Club's Long Term Plan, unveiled in 1993, set out to enhance Wimbledon's widely acknowledged reputation as the world premier tennis event by substantially improving the whole quality of the Wimbledon experience for all the main audiences - players, spectators, media, officials, members and Championships' staff.
Guided by a blend of tradition with innovation, the Club's grounds and facilities have been steadily transformed, including:
1997 New No.1 Court, permanent Broadcast Centre, tunnel linking Church Road with Somerset Road and new courts 18 and 19, the popular Aorangi Terrace and large screen TV.
2000 Millennium Building (new facilities for players, press and photographers, officials, ballboys/girls, Club members and LTA councillors).
2001 Important repairs and improvements to the front of the Centre Court.
2002 Major refurbishment of Clubhouse and Royal Box area.
2005 New boundary wall and hard courts at Southern Apex; resurfacing of Car Parks 2 and 3.
2006 Redevelopment of the turnstile area, together with a new museum (open April 2006), Wimbledon Shop, ticket office and the Club's new offices.
And scheduled to include:
2009 Improved Centre Court (see below).
Centre Court of the Future
In January 2004, the Club unveiled its vision for its jewel in the crown - the Centre Court.
Scheduled for completion in time for the 2009 Championships, the improvements will allow visitors to enjoy the tennis in greater comfort, with better restaurant facilities and with certainty of play under a spectacular retractable roof (details below).
Retractable Roof on Centre Court
Centre Court will gain a new, modern retractable roof enabling all weather play during The Championships and complement the original 1920's stadium.
The roof will be closed primarily to protect play from inclement (and, if necessary, extremely hot) weather during The Championships, allowing fewer interruptions to Centre Court play and the main Championships events to be completed on time.
The roof will provide a first-class, consistent and safe (non-slippery) playing environment in both open and closed positions.
Of translucent construction to allow natural light to reach the grass, the roof will offer protection to the grass under all adverse weather conditions and, when open, will improve growing conditions throughout the year, particularly at the southern end where the benefit of extra light will be achieved.
The roof has been designed to close/open in under 10 minutes
Play will be suspended while the roof closes/opens, before being resumed once both the court surface and bowl have attained the optimum conditions for players and spectators.
This process will take between 10-30 minutes depending on the prevailing climatic conditions
More capacity in greater comfort
Centre Court's capacity will increase from 13,800 spectators to 15,000.
New, wider seats, as well as extra stairs and lifts, will bring greater spectator comfort and ease of access.
New media facilities and commentary boxes will be built to replace those currently in the upper tier.
Outline Timetable
2007 Championships
Construction of new East Stand and refurbished North Stand.
No Centre Court roof.
2008 Championships
Installation of non-moveable part of new roof.
Completion of new public and debenture facilities within East and North Stands, including enhanced and extended dining/lounge areas for Centre Court Debenture Holders, restaurants with canopied balconies - Wingfield Restaurant, 10 hospitality suites and Champagne Bar.
2009 Championships
Installation of new retractable roof.
Seating capacity to be increased to 15,000, from 13,800.
Installation of new wider, more comfortable seats throughout Centre Court.
Additional Information
The Retractable Roof
Modern, lightweight, retractable structure to complement the original 1920's Centre Court building.
Provides a first class and consistent playing environment in all weathers.
Environmental control to provide spectator comfort and optimum conditions for play when roof closed.
Fewer interruptions to Centre Court play and completion of The Championships on time.
The Tea Lawn
Re-designed to allow better access and featuring a new Bandstand and Champagne Bar.
Enhanced light refreshment areas and a new Wimbledon Shop.
Centre Court by numbers
75
metres, the span of the moving roof trusses (width of football pitch = 68m)
100
percentage of the roof's fabric which is recyclable
1,200
extra seats (in for 2009)
3,000
tonnes, combined weight (both fixed and moving) of the roof
6,000
square metres, area of retractable roof when fully deployed
7,500
Wimbledon umbrellas, needed to cover the same area as the retractable roof
15,000
new capacity of Centre Court once all work is completed in 2009
143,000
amount in litres of conditioned air that the air conditioning system supplies to the bowl per second
290 million
number of tennis balls you could fit in the centre Court with the roof closed
New No.2 Court
4,000 seat show court on the site of current Court 13 ready for 2009 Championships.
In order not to intrude on neighbours' views, the single storey structure will be about 3.5m above ground level, with the playing surface around 3.5m below ground level.
Upgraded facilities for the players and spectators, including retail and catering.
Public lavatories also for use by the overnight queue.
Improved media facilities.
Realignment of Courts 4-11 and widening of key walkways
Wider system of walkways, incorporating ramp access, to improve the safe circulation and overall comfort of spectators and players.
Main thoroughfare of St. Mary's Walk to be continued south from Centre Court to form a more direct route north-south through the grounds.
New Court No. 3
Construction of a new 2,000-seat court on the site of existing No.2 Court.
No time-scale set.
Retractable Roof on Centre Court - how it works
The retractable roof over Wimbledon's Centre Court is a type of 'folding fabric concertina'.
The folding fabric concertina allows the roof to be folded into a very compressed area when not in use over the court, as well as being translucent enough to provide an 'open' feel when the roof is closed over the court. The fabric is a special waterproof structural material that is very strong, highly flexible and translucent. Approximately 5,200 square metres of fabric will be used.
A key element of the design has been to allow natural light to reach the grass, while an airflow system removes condensation from within the bowl to provide the optimum internal environment for the comfort of spectators and players when the roof is closed.
The retractable roof is divided into two sections, with a total of nine bays of structural fabric - four bays in one section and five in the other. Each of the nine bays of structural fabric is clamped on either side by prismatic steel trusses. There are 10 trusses spanning approximately 77 metres across the court. The ends of each truss are supported by a set of wheels that move along a track positioned on the new 'fixed' roof of the Centre Court.
In preparation for closing the roof, one section is parked in its folded state at the north end of the court while the other is parked at the south end (1). A combination of hydraulic jacks and arms form the mechanism for closing the roof.
The mechanism moves the trusses apart (2) and, at the same time, unfolds and stretches out the fabric between the trusses over the court (3) until the two sections meet in an overlapping seam above the middle of the court (4).
The arch shape to the tops of the trusses helps the structure to withstand loading from elements such as snow and wind when the roof is stretched and closed over the court. The shape also assists in providing sufficient clearance for high balls - 16 metres.
The roof has been designed to close in under 10 minutes. If the roof is being closed for rain, court covers will protect the grass in the usual way while closure is in progress.
After the roof has been closed, play can resume within a period of between 10-30 minutes, depending on climatic conditions.
NB: The numbers 1-4 in brackets refer to a set of four images that illustrate the closing process.
AELTC
& the Local Community