Olympic Stadium

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="002285a1erlcgo.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>The World of Sports Venues</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The World of Sports Venues"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="Bank1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bank One Ballpark"><U>Bank One Ballpark</U></A>   |   <A HREF="Busch.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Busch Stadium"><U>Busch Stadium</U></A>   |   <A HREF="Cinergy.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cinergy Field"><U>Cinergy Field</U></A>   |   <A HREF="Coors.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Coors Field"><U>Coors Field</U></A>   |   <A HREF="Dodger.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dodger Stadium"><U>Dodger Stadium</U></A>   |   <A HREF="Miller.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Miller Park"><U>Miller Park</U></A>   |   <A HREF="MinuteMaid.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Minute Maid Park"><U>Minute Maid Park</U></A>   |   <B>Olympic Stadium</B>   |   <A HREF="PacBell.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pacific Bell Park"><U>Pacific Bell Park</U></A>   |   <A HREF="PNC.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PNC Park"><U>PNC Park</U></A>   |   <A HREF="ProPlayer.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pro Player Stadium"><U>Pro Player Stadium</U></A>   |   <A HREF="Qualcomm.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Qualcomm Stadium"><U>Qualcomm Stadium</U></A>   |   <A HREF="Shea.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shea Stadium"><U>Shea Stadium</U></A>   |   <A HREF="Turner.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Turner Field"><U>Turner Field</U></A>   |   <A HREF="Veterans.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Veterans Stadium"><U>Veterans Stadium</U></A>   |   <A HREF="Wrigley.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wrigley Field"><U>Wrigley Field</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="001d2c00dkelyh.gif"> <div> <A HREF="http://expos.mlb.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://expos.mlb.com/"><U><IMG SRC="Expos.jpg" border=0 ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="79" height="76"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="file:///C:/My Documents/My Webs/myweb3/Ballparks/Olympic/Olympic_StadiumS.gif" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.fortunecity.com/athena/thatch"><U>Seating Chart</U></A></div> <div> View Location</div> <div> <A HREF="file:///C:/My Documents/My Webs/myweb3/Ballparks/Olympic/Montrea_Olympic_Stadium.jpg" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.fortunecity.com/athena/thatch"><U>Photo 1</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="file:///C:/My Documents/My Webs/myweb3/Ballparks/Olympic/Olympic_2.jpg" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.fortunecity.com/athena/thatch"><U>Photo 2</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="file:///C:/My Documents/My Webs/myweb3/Ballparks/Olympic/OlympicStadium2.jpg" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.fortunecity.com/athena/thatch"><U>Photo 3</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="file:///C:/My Documents/My Webs/myweb3/Ballparks/Olympic/Olympic2.jpg" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.fortunecity.com/athena/thatch"><U>Photo 4</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="file:///C:/My Documents/My Webs/myweb3/Ballparks/OIympic/Olympic3.jpg" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.fortunecity.com/athena/thatch"><U>Photo 5</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://weather.yahoo.com/forecast/CAXX0301.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://weather.yahoo.com/forecast/CAXX03"><U>Weather</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Olympic Stadium</I></div> <div> Address- 4549 Pierre de Coubertin Avenue</div> <div>                  Montreal, Quebec H1V3N7</div> <bR> <div> Team- Montreal Expos</div> <bR> <div> Year Opened- 1976</div> <bR> <div> Renovations- 1988, 1991, 1998</div> <bR> <div> Capacity- 46,500</div> <bR> <div> Surface- Artificial Turf</div> <bR> <div> Built for the 1976 Summer Olympics, Olympic Stadium and its adjacent 552-foot observation tower form one of baseball's largest, most architecturally ambitious, and most visually distinctive complex. </div> <div> The stadium itself is a squat, oval disc supported by 38 reinforced concrete ribs, while the futuristic tower is the world's tallest inclined structure. </div> <bR> <div> Resembling no other structure in the sport, the "Big O" was designed by a French architect and cost as much as $850 million (Canadian), a staggering sum at the time and still a record for a ballpark. </div> <bR> <div> Originally, the astronomical cost and construction delays caused Olympic Stadium to open in an unfinished state. The field, working spaces, and spectator areas were complete, but the tower was only about a quarter of its planned height. </div> <bR> <div> Also, the retractable fabric roof, which was to be suspended from the tower by cables, was not in place. The permanent concrete roof extended beyond the seating areas, leaving an opening smaller than the playing field. </div> <div> Baseball's first retractable roof was added for 1988, theoretically allowing the Expos to play either outside or indoors, depending on the weather. </div> <bR> <div> It was orange inside, gray outside, and took 45 minutes to open or close. </div> <bR> <div> In practice, however, opening and closing the roof proved difficult, and more than once the 65-ton Kevlar synthetic fabric was torn by the wind. </div> <bR> <div> The roof was therefore permanently closed for baseball but then removed in April 1998 by the local stadium authority, meaning that Montreal fans enjoyed fresh air and endured rainouts for the first time in a decade. </div> <div> Olympic Stadium has artificial turf and symmetrical fences (325-375-404-375-325). </div> <bR> <div> It is neutral with respect to overall scoring, but is a difficult park for home runs. Before the roof was installed, it was more of a pitcher's park due to the city's prevailing cold climate. </div> <bR> <div> Le Stade Olympique opened with 58,500 seats on seven levels, but a 1991 remodeling, intended to create a more intimate baseball atmosphere, reduced that figure to 46,500. </div> <bR> <div> On April 4, 1988, in the first game played under the fabric roof, Darryl Strawberry hit the rim of the concrete roof for what is thought to be the longest home run ever hit at the Big O. </div> <bR> <div> In Sept. 8, 1991, a non-structural piece of exterior concrete fell from the roof edge, causing the Expos, in an abundance of caution, to play their final 28 home games on the road. </div> <bR> <div> Beyond the Gallic verve of its design, Le Stade Olympique reflects its city in several other ways. Fans can enter the stadium from the subway without venturing outdoors. The food is some of the best in the Majors, and the P.A. announcements and the scoreboards are appropriately bilingual.</div> <bR> <div> Source- The Idea Logical Company</div> </td> </tr></table></body>