17 Mar 2020
Redesign of Manchester Arena could make it 'largest in Europe'
BY Tom Walker
ASM Global has revealed plans to increase the capacity at its Manchester Arena venue to 24,000.
As well as an increase to capacity, the initial proposals for a redesign of the arena – drawn up by architects HOK – include the creation of an additional concourse level to house VIP boxes and lounges, as well as F&B outlets.
The designs also feature a new "worker bee façade" – in honour of the city's symbol, the Manchester bee – and upgrades to the venue's access infrastructure, in order to improve the people flow between the arena and the close-by Manchester Victoria station.
In a statement, John Sharkey, executive vice president European operations for ASM Global, said: “These plans have been made public earlier than intended, as we are still in the process of consulting with Manchester City Council, our neighbours and landlord on the design – their input and involvement in this journey will be crucial.
“In particular, we’re working to ensure our final proposals fit with the council’s wider infrastructure planning. We are also in dialogue with the families of the May 2017 terrorist attack around a fitting memorial for the City Room.”
If the proposals are successful, Manchester Arena could become the largest indoor arena in Europe. The iconic Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium can hold around 23,300 people, while the Štark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia, has a maximum capacity of more than 20,000.
The plans were unveiled just days after International sports and live entertainment company Oak View Group (OVG) announced plans to build a £350m arena in Manchester.
The arena is to be located in the Eastlands area of the city on the Etihad Campus and have a capacity of 23,500.
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