An arena? A stadium? No, wait, it’s a concert venue! In about 20 minutes, the Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo converts from an intimate concert venue to a full-fledged stadium. A high-tech concept called Moving Block, developed in an international design competition, moves 9,200 seats—along with restrooms, concessions and hallways—a distance of 231 ft. (70 m) to convert the arena to a stadium and back again.
The Japanese wanted a facility with the functional diversity and flexibility of the Swiss Army Knife.
Gordon Wood, AIA, Principal
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