The Tait structure was a 4,000lb, 48'x32' unit that rose up 25' holding the lighting grid and a roof to keep everybody dry. It was used during the pre-game broadcast, half-time, and post-game coverage and had to deploy and retract in minutes. "From the time the game clock goes to zero at the end of the half, we then had the first commercials to deploy everything for a thirty seconds spot that Jim Brown used to introduce Prince," says James Fairorth, president of Tait Towers. "Then you immediately have to close it so that you are not blocking the view of Prince's show." Tait used a servo control system to sync their Zip Lifts at the corners of the unit to raise and lower the structure quickly and efficiently.
Tait started onsite set-up for the roof system on 16 January in Dolphin Stadium. This structure had to be engineered to take into account any weather issues that might arise. Fairorth says: "At 25-mile-an-hour winds, the tarp had to come off the structure; at 30-mile-an-hour winds, the whole thing had to come down." Fortunately for all involved rain was the only element they dealt with since the wind stayed calm. Once the stage was in place the lift mechanism was installed on the outside of the stage. The broadcast desk and the cameras move downstage to allow for the roof to close. "The structure was not allowed to block any seats, so when it lowered into its down position it created a perfect sightline," says Winky. "It was down to the inch. In fact, we had to adapt to an issue onsite where we actually had to rebuild the four corners and drop it down an extra nine inches after we set it up for the first time; that is how critical the sightlines are for the game. You have to be able to see the sidelines from every seat."
(Chris Henry)
