The new stadium seats 14,069 people, with the open-roof structure putting shade on most of the seatsUSTA
John McEnroe said the USTA deserves a "round of applause" for the renovated Louis Armstrong Stadium, as he has been "asking for 30, 40 years" for an indoor stadium for the U.S. Open, according to Tom Perrotta of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. The venue debuts next week with a "retractable roof and modern construction." That comes after the USTA installed "new small courts, more seats to watch practice, and a flexible roof that covers Arthur Ashe Stadium." McEnroe said of the retractable roofs, "Not only do we have one, but we have two now.” Perrotta notes the new Armstrong Stadium "seats 14,069 people, with the open-roof structure putting shade on most of the seats." When the roof is "closed, there’s still natural air." The walls are "made from clay-based terracotta louvers" and "look like they’re made of thin bricks with spaces between them." The louvers are "set at 45-degree angles to prevent rain from hitting seats, while letting much-needed air inside." The new Armstrong stadium "ends an overhaul at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center" that began in '11 and has cost the USTA $600M. The roof fabric is as "thin as a credit card and can be closed in less than six minutes." The roof is 124 feet high, and Rossetti architects claims that it "can still be operated" in a "thunderstorm with 31 mph wind" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/24).
