project

ABBA Arena, London – Modular Acoustic Tensile Fabric Concourse Canopies

Membrane
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  • Demountable Touring Venue
  • Acoustic Membrane Canopies
  • Fabric membrane entrance canopies

General information

  • Home page
    https://www.architen.com/projects/abba-arena-concourse-canopies/
  • Location address
    Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London, UK
  • Location country
    United Kingdom
  • Year of construction
    2022
  • Function of building
    Theatres & cinemas
  • Degree of enclosure
    Hybrid structure
  • Climatic zone
    Temperate - cold winters and mild summers
  • Number of layers
    mono-layer
  • Type of application of the membrane
    covering
  • Primary function of the tensile structure
    • Rain protection
    • Space defining elements
    • Sun protection
    • Thermal insulation

Description

The ABBA Arena is a 3,000-seat venue built for ABBA Voyage. Stufish designed it to be fully demountable so that it can be taken down and rebuilt in other cities. The core is a hexagonal timber theatre, and around it sits a ring of modular tensile fabric canopies that form the front-of-house concourse. Because the canopy modules are standardised, they can be moved, added or removed to suit each new site, so the membrane system has to cope with repeated cycles of dismantling and re-erection.

The concourse is the main arrival and gathering space, so acoustic performance was as important as appearance. Working with Stage One and the wider design team, Architen Landrell specified a weldable PVC foam membrane. It provides acoustic absorption and thermal insulation in a single layer, without needing a separate liner, and keeps the clean lines of the canopy. PVC was chosen because it handles folding, transport and reinstallation well, so the membrane is not damaged by repeated touring.

Colour-changing LED lighting washes the underside of the membrane, so the canopies become part of the show experience as soon as visitors arrive on site.

Designer: Stufish. Canopy package client: Stage One. Membrane design, fabrication and installation: Architen Landrell.

Description of the environmental conditions

Open-sided concourse in a temperate maritime climate (East London). Canopies provide rain and sun protection to the front-of-house gathering space, with acoustic absorption and thermal insulation from the PVC foam membrane.

Material of the cover

  • Cable-net/Fabric/Hybrid/Foil
    Fabric
  • Material Fabric/Foil
    PVC - coated polyester fabric
  • Material coating
    PVC-coated polyester

Main dimensions and form

Duration of use

  • Temporary or permanent structure
    Temporary
  • Convertible or mobile
    Mobile

Involved companies

Editor