Construction has started on the roof of the new 2010 FIFA World Cup Green Point Stadium - a significant milestone for the project, which is on track for completion at the end of 2009.
The first components of the high-tech roof arrived by ship from Kuwait, and the first compression ring is now being erected.

The roof will be installed by September 2009.

City of Cape Town 2010 spokesperson Pieter Cronje said the start of the roof construction "is tangible proof of the progress with the construction, and the fact that we are now four days ahead of schedule and on track to deliver the finished stadium by 14 December 2009."
He added that the roof is the most expensive and significant sub-contract for the stadium project.

The R430-million contract for the roof was awarded to an international joint venture company formed by US-based Birdair and German-based Pfeifer in November 2007. This company is in turn sub-contracting to the stadium’s main building contractor, Murray & Roberts/WBHO.

The stadium roof will resemble an uneven bicycle wheel resting on 72 pillars, with an outer compression ring on the pillars, and an inner tension ring.

It has been designed in terms of FIFA guidelines and in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Record of Decision, making it a key design feature of the stadium. One of the main benefits is that the shape and materials used to construct the roof will deflect noise back into the bowl, leading to a reduction in the noise level of the stadium by about six decibels compared to the previous Green Point Stadium.

Noise levels and the height of the stadium were among the main concerns expressed by local residents and cited in the Environmental Record of Decision.

The roof, which will have a double parabolic shape, will not protrude above the supporting columns, reducing the overall height of the stadium.

It will also incorporate flood lighting for the pitch, thereby avoiding the need for tall and unsightly floodlighting masts.

The roof will be made of a translucent glass surface weighing 1800 tons, and a lower fabric covering, which is key to noise reduction.

Wind tunnel and acoustic tests were carried out on the roof in Germany.

It will also cover the bulk of spectators sitting in the stadium, which is important, given that the World Cup takes place during Cape Town's rainy season.

Meanwhile, the contract for the facade of the stadium has been awarded, and work is due to begin shortly.