Watch professional tennis, and you'll notice that silence makes up a significant part of the game, to the point where spectators can hear the bounce of the ball each time it lands on the playing surface. The acoustics of the new Rossetti Architects-designed roof for the Arthur Ashe stadium, which reportedly is amplifying crowd conversations when it it closed as well being so noisy during a recent rainstorm that according to John McEnroe it's "hard to hear yourself think," are problematic. Ironically, the 210,00 square foot PTFE membraned retractable roof was installed partly to avoid rain delays during play. As BusinessInsider.com notes:

"It turns out that even casual conversations among fans were amplified as the noise reverberated inside. The roof was eventually fully closed during the second set, and the atmosphere reportedly sounded more like a ballpark and not like a tennis venue the players are used to."  

Bi-parting Fixed Fabric Shell

For more in sporty architectural news:

• HOK will acquire 360, restart sports architecture practice
• MVRDV completes The Couch, their eighth project in Amsterdam
• With the Rio Olympics opening in less than four months, sports federation concerned over problem with venues