37 million tons of iron was produced at the Duisburg Meiderich Mill, before it closed in 1985. Now, the 500 acre industrial site has been transformed into one of Europe's most exciting Parklands, with the industrial facilities adapted for modern recreation.

Old silos have become scuba diving centres, rock climbing walls have been created and the major spaces of the old mill are used as event spaces.

One of these, The Casting Bay, now houses a stage directly in front of the cold blast furnace and a grandstand to seat one thousand visitors. The stage and the orchestra pit are fully roofed, while two thirds of the grandstand are out in the open, with a mobile Texlon roof that provides shelter in inclement weather.

The Texlon roof is ideal for this purpose. The inherent lightness of the material, coupled with its transparency to sound, means that the retractable roof can be deployed very quickly and without affecting the acoustics of the arena greatly.