5.2 CASE STUDY MILLENNIUM DOME, LONDON, UK The Millennium Dome was designed by Richard Rogers Architects, in coordination with Happold structural engineers. Built on a 180 acre site, on the 'Greenwich Peninsula' is one of the largest tensile constructions ever built, and the iconic symbol of modern architecture in London.
Fig.25 Richard Rogers Architects ,Millennium Dome tensile structure, London Millennium Dome, as well called The O2, at the time it was built had the world's largest roof, with diameter of 365 meters – symbolizing the number of days of the year. The height of the Millennium Dome is 50 meters, and if including the support towers 100 meters. Inside we can find 30 commercial halls, of which the largest is the O2 Arena, which is intended for up to 24 000 people, what makes it the largest Multi-Purpose Hall in Europe . The Millennium Dome was built to house a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the millennium. It opened on January 1, 2000 and closed on December 31 of that same year. The original exhibition complex was demolished, but the shell of the dome remains, the costs of maintaining it are approximately £1 million per month. The Millennium Dome is now centrepiece of the The O2 entertainment district with an indoor arena, exhibition space, a music club, a cinema, bars, and restaurants. The facility will also be used to host the basketball and gymnastics competitions in the 2012 Olympic Games. The public monies expended in the Dome construction and maintenance will be recouped to a modest degree through this converted temporary use. Although it is called dome, in reality it is not. It is a cable-suspended membrane structure, due to its physical properties it cannot withhold its own weight and require structural support of a cable network and structural masts. In the plan view it resembles a large white tent with yellow masts, one for each month or for every hour of a clock face. 25