Thanks to the wonders of 3D imaging, virtual reality and other tech tools being applied to design and construction, new, sometimes unheard of before concepts for structures are being imagined and built. “Concept designs” are hot.
Populous recently finished a concept design in the Middle East: the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. Working with AEG Ogden, the world’s largest entertainment group which also is the operator of the aformentioned London and Las Vegas venues, Populous helped create the concept design for the facility. It is being touted as the Middle East’s premier entertainment venue in Dubai.
The facility is expected to burnish Dubai’s position as a popular destination for tourism and business.
The arena has a capacity of 17,000 and is climate-controlled throughout the building. It is being called the only venue of its kind between Istanbul and Singapore that can host events throughout the year, even in the very hot Middle East summer months.
See Also: Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field progresses toward its 2020 completion date
Operated by AEG Ogden and owned by Meraas, the Coca-Cola Arena will host international touring artists, comics, family entertainment, sports events, gala dinners, exhibitions and conferences. Located in City Walk, one of Dubai’s city neighborhoods, the arena is near other entertainment venues, restaurants, and shops.
At night, the venue’s look will change somewhat. The Coca-Cola Arena will become a sort of beacon in the evening, as an LED strip light setup that covers the building’s façade turns on, brightening the cityscape with changing colors.
“With Coca-Cola Arena, Meraas has shown great vision in building a new home for live entertainment in the heart of Dubai, further enhancing the Emirates’ potential as a major destination for some of the world’s most prestigious events,” said Guy Ngata, AEG Ogden’s CEO of Coca-Cola Arena. “AEG Ogden is very proud and excited to be operating the venue which has seen the very best people in the world across many sectors come together to create what is undoubtedly a fantastic arena and fitting for the city which the venue calls home.”
Other features of the building include a rolling modular stage, a retractable seating system, and automated drapes. The features allow the building to be transformed from a small-scale-venue event to a large event, and vice versa.
With more than 35 food and drink outlets and 42 corporate suites, the arena caters to all types of fans and event-goers. The facility also is accessible, having 28 wheelchair spaces and companion seats.
“Populous opened its first Middle East office in Dubai last year, enabling us to be closer to our clients, consultants and contractors in the region,” said Shireen Hamdan, Senior Principal at Populous. “Now we are extremely proud to see our commitment to bringing our global expertise in designing entertainment venues to the region realized with the completion of this landmark arena. Under the expert stewardship of Meraas and AEG Ogden, Coca-Cola Arena will establish Dubai as a new stop on the global touring circuit for the world’s best acts in music and entertainment.”
Related Stories
| Nov 16, 2010
Brazil Olympics spurring green construction
Brazil's green building industry will expand in the coming years, spurred by construction of low-impact venues being built for the 2016 Olympics. The International Olympic Committee requires arenas built for the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro meet international standards for low-carbon emissions and energy efficiency. This has boosted local interest in developing real estate with lower environmental impact than existing buildings. The timing couldn’t be better: the Brazilian government is just beginning its long-term infrastructure expansion program.
| Nov 3, 2010
Park’s green education center a lesson in sustainability
The new Cantigny Outdoor Education Center, located within the 500-acre Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Ill., earned LEED Silver. Designed by DLA Architects, the 3,100-sf multipurpose center will serve patrons of the park’s golf courses, museums, and display garden, one of the largest such gardens in the Midwest.
| Nov 3, 2010
Sailing center sets course for energy efficiency, sustainability
The Milwaukee (Wis.) Community Sailing Center’s new facility on Lake Michigan counts a geothermal heating and cooling system among its sustainable features. The facility was designed for the nonprofit instructional sailing organization with energy efficiency and low operating costs in mind.
| Nov 3, 2010
Recreation center targets student health, earns LEED Platinum
Not only is the student recreation center at the University of Arizona, Tucson, the hub of student life but its new 54,000-sf addition is also super-green, having recently attained LEED Platinum certification.
| Oct 13, 2010
New health center to focus on education and awareness
Construction is getting pumped up at the new Anschutz Health and Wellness Center at the University of Colorado, Denver. The four-story, 94,000-sf building will focus on healthy lifestyles and disease prevention.
| Oct 13, 2010
Community center under way in NYC seeks LEED Platinum
A curving, 550-foot-long glass arcade dubbed the “Wall of Light” is the standout architectural and sustainable feature of the Battery Park City Community Center, a 60,000-sf complex located in a two-tower residential Lower Manhattan complex. Hanrahan Meyers Architects designed the glass arcade to act as a passive energy system, bringing natural light into all interior spaces.
| Oct 13, 2010
Community college plans new campus building
Construction is moving along on Hudson County Community College’s North Hudson Campus Center in Union City, N.J. The seven-story, 92,000-sf building will be the first higher education facility in the city.
| Oct 12, 2010
Owen Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards—Silver Award. Officials at Michigan State University’s East Lansing Campus were concerned that Owen Hall, a mid-20th-century residence facility, was no longer attracting much interest from its target audience, graduate and international students.
| Oct 12, 2010
Building 13 Naval Station, Great Lakes, Ill.
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards—Gold Award. Designed by Chicago architect Jarvis Hunt and constructed in 1903, Building 13 is one of 39 structures within the Great Lakes Historic District at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill.
| Sep 16, 2010
Green recreation/wellness center targets physical, environmental health
The 151,000-sf recreation and wellness center at California State University’s Sacramento campus, called the WELL (for “wellness, education, leisure, lifestyle”), has a fitness center, café, indoor track, gymnasium, racquetball courts, educational and counseling space, the largest rock climbing wall in the CSU system.
