NEW COPENHAGEN ARENA WITH A DISTINCTLY NORDIC DESIGN

  PRESS RELEASE June 6, 2012 NEW COPENHAGEN ARENA WITH A DISTINCTLY NORDIC DESIGN 3XN, HKS architects, Arup, ME Engineers and Planit have won the d...
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PRESS RELEASE June 6, 2012

NEW COPENHAGEN ARENA WITH A DISTINCTLY NORDIC DESIGN 3XN, HKS architects, Arup, ME Engineers and Planit have won the design competition for Copenhagen Arena which is expected to open at the end of 2015. With this project, Copenhagen will have an arena of an international top quality in terms of audience comfort, acoustics and functionality. But the arena will also stand out as a distinct icon and a generator of urban life in the district of Ørestad. The arena will be able to accommodate audiences of 15,000. The winning project designed by 3XN, HKS architects, Arup, ME Engineers and Planit is an expression of a strong Scandinavian design tradition in which quality, function and design form a synthesis. With this Copenhagen Arena will have a distinct Nordic identity. At the same time, the winning project’s arena will be among the very best in the world in terms of audience comfort, acoustics and functionality for performing artists, competing athletes and guests. The building will have an open ground floor and a plateau that is accessible for the public at first floor level. It will invite a rich urban life with staircases and attractive urban spaces for residents as well as visitors to enjoy the sun or seek shelter for the wind. With the location in Ørestad Syd, the vision is that Copenhagen Arena will contribute to promoting sports, culture and urban life as well as the economic development of Denmark. In a comment to the choice of winning project, Copenhagen’s Lord Mayor Frank Jensen says: “The arena promises to be yet another stunning element in the Copenhagen skyline, and the setting of world class experiences. The arena will create jobs for Copenhageners and be a launch pad for Copenhagen as the centre of growth and investment in eastern Denmark and the Øresund Region.” Realdania CEO Flemming Borreskov also expects great things from the design basis that has now been created for Copenhagen Arena: “The winning project from 3XN, HKS architects, Arup, ME Engineers and Planit is based on a consistent architectural idea. It has major urban and building qualities and holds the potential that can make Copenhagen Arena the hub of both spectacular experiences and a lively and active urban life. With the project’s convincing architectural solution and clear Scandinavian design, I feel certain that Copenhagen Arena will be a landmark for Copenhagen”.

Jarmers Plads 2 1551 København V T 70 11 66 66 F 32 88 52 99 E [email protected] W www.copenhagen‐arena.dk 6 June 2012

CVR‐nr. 33 60 00 11

   

 

    Copenhagen Culture and Leisure Mayor Pia Allerslev also welcomes the perspectives contained in Copenhagen Arena: “For many years, we have had a vision that we would enhance sports, culture and urban life in Copenhagen. Now it will soon be reality and enable Copenhagen to offer the outside world better and larger national and international events than ever before. We will be able to host all types of concerts and shows and we will be able to host events and championships in a long list of sports such as handball, ice hockey and table tennis. In brief, the arena will enhance our international profile, and that is precisely what we have dreamt about for years.” CPH City & Port Development CEO Jens Kramer Mikkelsen welcomes yet another stunning development in Ørestad: “The future arena, indoor ice skating rink, school and sports centre will undoubtedly contribute positively to Ørestad. The new area around the arena will have the same high standard as the rest of Ørestad in terms of planning, materials and infrastructure. At the same time, the location at Ørestad Syd is optimal in relation to metro, trains, airport and motorway connections to Sweden, Germany and the rest of Europe.” The design competition was offered as full‐service consultancy for design teams consisting of architects, engineers and arena experts. The project was put to tender in the autumn of 2011 according to EU rules on project competitions. Forty‐one teams applied for pre‐qualification and five teams were prequalified. In March the field was narrowed down to three design teams:  3XN, HKS Architects, Arup, ME Engineers and Planit  C. F Møller, Grimshaw, Arup, Niras and Marianne Levinsen  Foster + Partners, architects A78 and Arup With the design team elected, the company behind the construction of Copenhagen Arena, Arena CPHX, will now begin to plan and to prepare the tender for the turnkey contract. The turnkey contract is expected to be finalised at the end of 2012 with construction scheduled to start in the spring of 2013. ##### Enclosed Enclosure 1 – Facts about Copenhagen Arena Photos in high resolution and project animations can be downloaded from www.copenhagen‐arena.dk

   

 

    Further information: Frank Jensen, Lord Mayor, City of Copenhagen, via Press Consultant Thomas Giolla‐Møller, tel: +45 24 78 22 32 Flemming Borreskov, CEO, Realdania, tel: +45 70 11 66 66 Pia Allerslev, Culture and Leisure Mayor, City of Copenhagen, tel: +45 51 52 38 55 Jens Kramer Mikkelsen, CEO, CPH City & Port Development, tel: +45 29 16 05 86 Claus Wiegand Larsen, Managing Director, Arena CPHX, tel: +45 24 89 07 20 Christian Krage, Director Special Projects, Live Nation, tel: +45 35 25 41 00 #####

Enclosure 1 – Facts about Copenhagen Arena The vision The vision for Copenhagen Arena is to enhance sports, culture and urban life and to contribute to the economic development of Denmark. At the same time, the arena is to qualify and enhance urban development in Ørestad Syd. The arena will have all the facilities we have come to expect in a modern arena. It will contribute to enhancing the international profile of Copenhagen and bring Copenhagen closer to the world. The arena will support urban living and attract international investment to Copenhagen and Denmark. The arena will be marketed both nationally and internationally and have a high urban and building quality compared with corresponding facilities across the globe. It will be able to attract large international events to Denmark and, in cooperation with other facilities in the metropolitan area, attract events to the Øresund Region. The project partners, financing and organisation There are two parties behind the arena ‐ the City of Copenhagen and Realdania ‐ and both have a share in the company Arena CPHX P/S, which is to be responsible for design, construction and ownership of the arena. City & Port Development own the land and are involved in the project as a collaboration partner by making the site for the arena available. Actual operation of the arena will be carried out by Live Nation as the operator. Live Nation has been chosen after a tendering procedure for the operator.

   

 

   

Financing Realdania and the City of Copenhagen have each made up to DKK 325 million available for the project, as capital injection to the arena company. In addition to the contributions from those two partners, the project company expects a construction subsidy from the Elite Facilities Committee under the Danish Ministry of Culture and an operating subsidy from DIF (the Sports Federation of Denmark). In addition, it will necessary to take out a loan which will be serviced through rental revenue from the operator. Organisation The task of the partnership company, Arena CPHX P/S, is to manage the tendering procedure, design and construction process of the arena in Ørestad Syd. After this, Arena CPHX P/S will own the building which will be run by the external operator. The City of Copenhagen and Realdania both have an equal ownership interest in Arena CPHX P/S. Board of directors Arena CPHX A/S has a board of directors with four members representing the partners behind the arena. The composition of the board will be adjusted so that its competences reflect the current phase of the project. The board will be made up by people with relevant competences in relation to the construction and operation of the arena. The four members of the Board are:  Bent Frank, Chairman  Andreas Christensen, Lawyer, Horten  Carsten Haurum, Managing Director, Culture and Leisure Administration, City of Copenhagen  Hans Peter Svendler, Executive Director, Realdania The design competition had the following competition jury:  Peter Mortensen, Expert Juror, BPP Architects, Partner, Engineer, Appointed by the Danish Architect’s Association  Mette Kynne Frandsen, Expert Juror, Henning Larsens Architects, CEO, Partner and Architect Appointed by the Danish Architect’s Association  Jørn E. Simonsen, Expert Juror, JEI Consult Appointed by the Danish Association of Consulting Engineers  Kirsten Ledgaard, Director of Planning, CPH City & Port Development

   

 

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Anne Skovbro, Director, Centre for Urban Development, Finance Administration, City of Copenhagen Tina Saaby, City Architect, Centre for Urban Design, Technical and Environmental Administration, City of Copenhagen Hans Peter Svendler, Executive Director, Realdania Lars Autrup, Project Manager, Realdania

Design, size and capacity The arena will have a capacity for up to 12,500 spectators at sports events such as handball matches. For music and similar events, the capacity will be up to 15,000 seated/standing spectators. The arena will be flexible and can be scaled down to use smaller parts of the arena and the spectator capacity. The arena will have a floor area of up to 35,000 square metres space with large foyer areas and plenty of room for cafes, restaurants and bars. There will also be extensive service areas for performers, athletes and service functions. The arena will be designed so that most of the audience are on three sides of the stage/track/court. However it will also be possible to have an audience on the fourth side for sports events and special cultural events. Similar arenas already exist, for example in Liverpool and Oslo. The contents of the Arena – sports, music and cultural events The building will be flexible and be able to work as a “plugin” for any international show, concert or sports event. It will be designed so that organisers will choose Copenhagen for prestigious international events and so that they can set up things quickly and continue their tour equally fast. The arena will help ensure that audiences get the optimal experience at any event. It will have easy access, good facilities and ideal acoustic qualities – for the enjoyment of both audiences and performers. The arena will supplement existing facilities and make it possible for Copenhagen to offer the outside world even better and larger events. Sports The arena will be the ideal host for events and championships in a long list of different sports including ice‐hockey, handball and table tennis. It will also be possible to hold swimming competitions. Musical and cultural events The arena will be built to host concerts of all types of music. It will also be perfect for more cultural shows such as Cirque du Soleil, Walking With Dinosaurs and Disney On Ice.

   

 

    Location in Ørestad Syd The arena will be situated right in the middle of Ørestad immediately south of the motorway. The northern part of Ørestad Syd has available space for investment and urban development. In combination with the Fields shopping mall and area’s international companies and hotels, the arena will contribute to promoting the urban development in the area. The arena will be at the heart of a new urban district that will accommodate a municipal ice skating rink in addition to residential and commercial developments. Local planning also allows for a new primary and lower secondary school with good sports facilities. The arena will have optimal access in Ørestad Syd. Denmark’s international airport, metro, trains and motorways to Sweden, Germany and the rest of Europe are just a few minutes away.



   

 

    Time schedule Copenhagen Arena is scheduled to open in the second half of 2012. The Arena process The parties behind the arena have drawn up a business plan which describes the expected commercial foundation of the arena, and which describes a process to ensure the optimal arena and to ensure that statutory tendering procedures are followed. The plan has been drawn up by global consultants Davis Langdon and their colleagues at IPW... The business plan is based on an organisation in which a company – Arena CPHX P/S – will build and own the arena building and subsequently rents it to the selected operator, Live Nation. The Arena process can be divided into six phases. The Arena is currently at the end of phase 4. Phases 1 and 2 have involved establishing an accurate and solid business foundation. Phase 3 has been the operator contract and the planning basis. Phase 4 and 5 are the traditional construction phases with a design competition and then a tendering procedure for the contractor and actual construction. The design process comprised a competition with up to five teams composed of architects, engineers and special arena experts. Phase 6 involves the furnishing, equipping and commissioning the arena by the operator. In parallel with the arena company’s design process, new planning provisions will be established in order to ensure an ideal balance between arena and the surrounding urban area. The process is headed by the City of Copenhagen and follows the city’s normal procedure for local planning and public involvement. Read more on www.copenhagen‐arena.dk