Colonial Stadium, Melbourne

Colonial Stadium is a landmark structure unlike any other sports stadium in the world. Opened in March 2000, and built at a cost of around USD 230 million, this multi-purpose venue can accommodate 52 000 spectators. It features a versatile seating system, whereby 12 500 seats can be rolled forward on 115 m long trussed frames. However, it is the moving roof which crowns this magnificent engineering achievement. Covering the 160 m by 100 m opening are two panels, each weighting approximately 1200 t which can fully enclose the pitch in around 8 minutes.