New York architect Peter Eisenman has planned to fit the Arizona Cardinals new stadium (Glendale, Ariz.) with a retractable turf.

The retractable field is a gigantic rectangular planter 18 inches deep with dirt and grass, and mounted on rails. Even during football season, the field will be able to roll outside next to the parking lot during the week so it can soak up the warm Arizona sun while conferences and meetings take place indoors.

Only a handful of stadiums in Japan and Europe (like the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, near Munich) have experimented with retractable fields. “We’ve got marching bands marching, and big gorillas tackling each other — we’ve got to make sure the floor doesn’t move beneath them,” says Larry Griffis, from Walter P. Moore, a leading stadium engineering firms.

The Cardinals’ stadium form is inspired by a barrel cactus. Curved metallic panels will alternate with glass strips around the exterior of the building, scheduled for completion before the 2006 season. A translucent “Bird-Airâ€? fabric roof will allow the stadium to have an airy feel even when the roof is closed. The roof has two large retractable panels that will uncover the entire playing field while providing maximum shading for fans.

Via Archinect < Post Gazette.

Related: Alianz Arena, London Olympic stadium roof, Volcano stadium.