While stadiums in Brazil need hours to cover the field, Tottenham in London transforms a 9,000-ton natural grass field into an NFL arena in just 25 minutes with unprecedented technology.

Written by Flavia Marinho

Published on 25/05/2026 at 17:54

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What happens to the field when it is stored

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London features an engineering innovation that attracts global attention. The natural football field, divided into three large steel trays, slides under the stands in just 25 minutes, revealing a space ready for NFL games and international events. Each tray weighs more than 3,000 tons, totaling about 9,000 tons, and is carefully stored under the stadium’s South Stand.

This solution allows the natural field to be preserved even during events that require a synthetic surface. The audience watches football matches, American football games, or shows without the original field being damaged, ensuring maximum quality for athletes and organizers.

How a field of thousands of tons moves

The retractable field was designed to slide mechanically over tracks in three reinforced steel trays. Populous, a sports architecture company, detailed that each section weighs more than 3,000 tons, and the complete process takes about 25 minutes.

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Why the stadium needed two fields

Tottenham Hotspur FC, an English football club, presented the numbers and logistics of the movable field, proving that it would be impossible to alternate between modalities without compromising the natural field. The retractable field allows the stadium to function as two arenas in one, maintaining the quality of professional football and offering space for events of different sports.

This configuration increases the durability of the field and reduces the preparation time between events, ensuring safety and comfort for athletes and the audience.

What happens to the lawn when it is stored

While the natural field is stored, lighting, ventilation, and irrigation systems simulate ideal grass growing conditions. This prevents the lawn from wilting or losing quality, keeping it ready for important matches.

The care ensures that the stadium is always prepared for official football matches, reinforcing the efficiency of the model adopted in London compared to conventional stadiums.

How the NFL influenced the project

The presence of the NFL in the stadium’s schedule required innovative solutions. The Institution of Civil Engineers, a British engineering institution, provided the numbers and deadlines mentioned, confirming that the movable lawn weighs about 9 thousand tons and is considered one of the largest movable systems in the world.

The retractable field allows American football games to take place on a synthetic surface without affecting the natural football lawn, showing that sports engineering can completely transform the stadium experience.

Why this model is almost impossible in conventional arenas

The complexity of the system makes it difficult to apply in traditional stadiums. The movement of thousands of tons of natural grass requires space, investment, and advanced engineering. Common stadiums use only temporary plates or covers, which limits the alternation of uses and compromises the quality of the field.

Tottenham has become a global reference, showing that it is possible to combine technology, sports, and entertainment in the same arena, offering unique experiences and preserving the natural field.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium quickly transforms the space, maintaining the integrity of the natural lawn, alternating between football and NFL, and allowing international events without compromising the quality of the field.

Do you think this technology could work in Brazilian stadiums or is it still impossible to adapt here?

While stadiums in Brazil need hours to cover the field, Tottenham in London transforms a 9,000-ton natural grass field into an NFL arena in just 25 minutes with unprecedented technology.

What happens to the field when it is stored

How a field of thousands of tons moves

Why the stadium needed two fields

What happens to the lawn when it is stored

How the NFL influenced the project

Why this model is almost impossible in conventional arenas

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While stadiums in Brazil need hours to cover the field, Tottenham in London transforms a 9,000-ton natural grass field into an NFL arena in just 25 minutes with unprecedented technology.

What happens to the field when it is stored

How a field of thousands of tons moves

Why the stadium needed two fields

What happens to the lawn when it is stored

How the NFL influenced the project

Why this model is almost impossible in conventional arenas

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Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

A robot named Walter does the work of five bricklayers per hour and can save the construction industry, where the average age of professionals is 46 years and almost no one wants to learn the trade anymore, in the United Kingdom.

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