Scotland's National Arena
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Hydro Arena, is an arena in Glasgow
, Scotland
currently under construction. It is planned for completion in 2013 at an estimated cost of £125 million. It has been designed by architects Foster and Partners
. The building will be used for concerts and other entertainment events and will seat 12,000. It will therefore be the largest purpose built indoor arena in Scotland and one of the largest in the UK after the MEN Arena in Manchester
, The O2 Arena
in London
, the Sheffield Arena, the LG Arena
in Birmingham
. The venue is planned to be used for the Netball
and Gymnastics
events during the 2014 Commonwealth Games
.
The main reason for the building is due to the current lack of a dedicated high capacity indoor events space in Glasgow. Scotland's biggest indoor events space is currently Hall 4 in the SECC
which can hold 12,000. However, due to this also being used for exhibitions, the time taken to reconfigure the required seating when needed, lost the SECC 70 days every year. It is hoped that this building will provide an alternative to Hall 4.
The arena has the potential to inject an additional £131 million per annum into the local economy and create 1,400 jobs. The current economic impact of the SECC is £336 million per annum with 1.5 million visitors a year.
Like the neighbouring Clyde Auditorium
, the arena has been designed from the inside out. Visitors will enjoy direct sightlines from each of the 12,000 seats and the acoustics will be of the highest standard. In June 2011, a £15m ten year sponsorship agreement was signed between SEC Ltd and Scottish and Southern Energy, which will see the arena officially named as the Scottish Hydro Arena.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
currently under construction. It is planned for completion in 2013 at an estimated cost of £125 million. It has been designed by architects Foster and Partners
Foster and Partners
Foster + Partners is an architectural firm based in London. The practice is led by its founder and Chairman, Norman Foster, and has constructed many high-profile glass-and-steel buildings....
. The building will be used for concerts and other entertainment events and will seat 12,000. It will therefore be the largest purpose built indoor arena in Scotland and one of the largest in the UK after the MEN Arena in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, The O2 Arena
The O2 arena (London)
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the Sheffield Arena, the LG Arena
National Indoor Arena
The National Indoor Arena is a large indoor arena and is owned by the NEC Group. It is situated in central Birmingham, England and was opened in 1991, as the largest indoor arena at the time in the UK...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. The venue is planned to be used for the Netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
and Gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
events during the 2014 Commonwealth Games
2014 Commonwealth Games
The 20th Commonwealth Games in 2014 will be held in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The winning city was announced by the Commonwealth Games Federation on 9 November 2007 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Games will run over 11 days of competition from 24 July to 3 August 2014...
.
The main reason for the building is due to the current lack of a dedicated high capacity indoor events space in Glasgow. Scotland's biggest indoor events space is currently Hall 4 in the SECC
Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre , located on the north bank of the River Clyde, in Glasgow, is Scotland's largest exhibition centre....
which can hold 12,000. However, due to this also being used for exhibitions, the time taken to reconfigure the required seating when needed, lost the SECC 70 days every year. It is hoped that this building will provide an alternative to Hall 4.
The arena has the potential to inject an additional £131 million per annum into the local economy and create 1,400 jobs. The current economic impact of the SECC is £336 million per annum with 1.5 million visitors a year.
Like the neighbouring Clyde Auditorium
Clyde Auditorium
The Clyde Auditorium, familiarly known as "The Armadillo", is an iconic concert venue in Glasgow, Scotland. The building sits on the site of the now infilled Queen's Dock on the River Clyde, adjacent to the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre....
, the arena has been designed from the inside out. Visitors will enjoy direct sightlines from each of the 12,000 seats and the acoustics will be of the highest standard. In June 2011, a £15m ten year sponsorship agreement was signed between SEC Ltd and Scottish and Southern Energy, which will see the arena officially named as the Scottish Hydro Arena.