WHERE SUPERSTARS MEET ACTUAL STARS

BC Place is a year-round, open-air facility - the largest multipurpose venue of its kind in the Province of BC.

Our cable-supported retractable roof is the largest of its kind in the world, and lets us tailor the atmosphere for any event — from summer festivals in the sun, to football games under the stars, to indoor exhibitions comfortably protected from the rain. The transformation takes just 20 minutes.

For a closer look at the roof, check out BC Place on Google Earth or visit Flickr for a selection of amazing photos captured by photographers in Vancouver.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE NEW BC PLACE

• BC Place is the largest sports, exhibition and entertainment venue of its kind in British Columbia, Canada.
• BC Place is ranked in the Top 100 stadiums in North America for capacity, with seating for 54,500, or expanded based on event configuration.
• The largest event by attendance at BC Place was the U2 360 Tour concert in October 2009, with more than 62,000 fans in the stadium.
• BC Place features the largest cable-supported retractable roof of its kind in the world.
• BC Place is one of the most technologically advanced stadiums in the world. Read more here.
• The new roof is much more energy efficient than the original air-supported roof, saving 25 percent on energy costs (or about $350,000 per year).
• BC Place is home to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC MLS franchise, the BC Lions Football Club and the BC Sports Hall of Fame.
• BC Place was the host venue for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
• BC Place is an important generator of economic activity in British Columbia. Events and activities at BC Place generate more than $100 million per year in economic activity in the province of BC.
• BC Place is extremely versatile and is able to host a wide range of world-class entertainment, professional and amateur sports, community gatherings and exhibitions.

OPERATIONAL ADVANTAGES & FEATURES

• The new retractable roof covers the entire field of play, and opens or closes in about 20 minutes. This means we can tailor the environment to any event. Cold and raining? The roof is closed for maximum protection from the elements. Beautiful and sunny? Open that roof! The fixed roof portion protects visitors from the elements no matter the weather conditions
• Our new 4-sided centre hung video board, including two sideline screens that measure 68 by 38 feet each, displays High Definition video to virtually every seat in the house. Weighing 100,000 pounds, the entire entertainment unit may be raised to the roof or lowered to the floor, depending on the event or game requirements.
• A challenge with large stadiums is balancing the requirements for a large capacity, with an intimate atmosphere for events of smaller capacity. To meet this challenge, BC Place installed an innovative new flexible secondary roof system between the upper and lower sections of the stadium. The secondary roof creates a more intimate atmosphere for events with a capacity around 27,000 seats, and is removed for events of up to 54,500 in attendance.
• The permanent FIFA-approved Polytan LigaTurf 240 RS+ all-weather turf is a favourite of our operations staff, our clients, and especially the players. Artificial turf technology has come a long way since the old turf you grew up with. BC Place’s turf is installed permanently in the centre of the stadium floor and is designed to be self-draining in all conditions. It features an E-layer below the fibres, designed to absorb the energy when players make contact. That’s just one of the reasons it has been given FIFA’s highest rating – FIFA 2-Star Recommended. As well as improved player safety, the turf can be completely covered with a specialized floor paneling system for weeks at a time, allowing BC Place to host concerts, consumer shows and special events over 162,000 sqft. of column free space. When the show is finished, the panels are lifted off the turf, and BC Place transforms back to a stadium for sports played on world-class turf.
• Improved interior temperature control allows year-round comfort for a wider variety of events. Louvers at the lower edge of the new roof may be opened or closed to increase or control air circulation. Infra-red heaters mounted below the roof provide warmth during the winter months if required. These features make BC Place a truly year-round venue.
• New, brighter, energy efficient lighting systems provides illumination required by HD television broadcasts.
• Much has been said about the incredible acoustics of the new BC Place. Large stadiums are generally a challenging environment for concert acoustics, however a number of upgrades as part of the revitalization have resulted in a crisp sound beyond expectations. Sound-absorbing panels around the internal perimeter of the stadium, combined with porous panels lining the underside of the roof, helps to dampen sound reflection. A new state-of-the-art sound system features loudspeaker arrays mounted from above the stands, on the video board display and under the balconies pumps out an amazingly clear sound.
• The “Northern Lights Roof Display” is our spectacular 36-foot façade made of a special translucent material (ETFE) that also contains metallic dots called “frits”. These frits are lit up by thousands of individually-addressable, energy-efficient LED lights, creating colour animations that bring life to the skyline of Vancouver. The display can light the stadium in a wide range of static colours, and dynamic animations for events, and to bring attention to community-based initiatives such as Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day, and Pink Shirt Day for Anti-Bullying Awareness. Visit the page on BC Place’s Northern Lights Display here.
• Clear glazing with a subtle blue tint has replaced the building’s old brown glass, to improve the outer appearance and allow a brighter more natural environment for guests, in ramps and concourses. The new glazing also helps to reduce the amount of energy used to light the concourses during the daytime.
• Our new seats are approximately 22 inches wide, come in four colours, and are wider than the previous seats which measured 18 to 19 inches in width. Every seat now comes with its own cup holder. Premium club seats have cushions, and sideline seats are padded for comfort.
• New lower-level retractable seating brings fans closer to the field action than ever before. These seating sections can be retracted and efficiently tucked away to reveal greater space for shows on the floor, making the venue even more versatile.
• The original airlocks and revolving doors have been replaced with large welcoming entrances that allow quicker and easier access for trucks, deliveries and machinery through the gates, and for guests entering through the doors.
• All the common spaces at BC Place have been upgraded, as well as concessions, washrooms, exterior plazas, media facilities, dressing rooms and general public areas for the enjoyment and safety of all guests of BC Place.
• 50 guest suites have been newly designed and refurbished. The new Club Section, complete with over 1,000 high-value seats and two lounge areas, is an impressive new addition to Level 3.
• Dedicated seating areas have been installed for those with physical disabilities, to improve access and enjoyment of events in BC Place.
• Eight high-traffic access ramps were improved with energy efficient lighting upgrades, concourse colours to assist wayfinding (over 35,000 square feet) and new, slip-resistant flooring surfaces.
• 52 washrooms totaling 40,000 square feet were upgraded for an improved guest experience with greater disabled access.
• 40 food and beverage concessions received new front counters and signage to improve operational efficiency, plus enhanced fittings and aesthetics to improve the guest experience.
• Seven new and five existing grill concessions were upgraded to gas, complete with new appliances to provide improved service and food options available to guests.
• 80,000 square feet of concourses on Level 2 and Level 4 have been upgraded with improved lighting, wall treatments, wayfinding signage system and newly designed entry points to ramps and seating for an enhanced guest experience.
• All internal and external signage has been replaced with new contemporary signage and graphics to improve the experience for all guests.

To learn more about the day-to-day operations of BC Place, follow us on Twitter@bcplace