It has been one week since work began on the new NRG Stadium, a behemoth construction site, as Houston’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup step up a gear.
Officials did, though, let slip that the design process was put underway nearly 7 years prior to Houston earning its place as a host city for the tournament. The task that makes up the majority of the project is transforming the NFL venue into a world-class football arena by installing a temporary natural grass pitch.
This piece of the complex structure was labelled the ‘most critical’ part of the entire project, and the normal installation time of 13 weeks is condensed down to little more than a month.
The pitch is just over 81,000 square feet in size and will feature Kentucky bluegrass, which has been cultivated in Colorado for the last 18 months. This will be transported to NRG Stadium in refrigerated trucks and laid in its new home.
The fact that the NRG Stadium is a dome will see it have giant LED grow lights shipped over from Holland to aid the preservation of the grass for the duration of the tournament.
The technique for preserving the grass, “one big science experiment,” has been called due to its complex nature and technology. After the tournament, the pitch will be fully removed within two weeks to enable the stadium to resume its NFL duties once again.
