12,000 (seated)
13,000 (standing)The SSE Hydro is an arena in Glasgow, Scotland, that is under construction. It is planned for completion in September 2013.
The building will be used for concerts and other entertainment events and will seat 12,000. It will be the largest purpose built indoor arena in Scotland.
The contract to build The Hydro was awarded to Lend Lease by the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre Limited (SECL).
Work commenced in February 2011 and will complete in September 2013.
SEC Ltd had identified the need for a new arena designed specifically for large scale performance events ranging from rock concerts to children’s shows.
The world-class Hydro, designed by Foster + Partners and Arup Scotland, will seat 12,000 in a circular auditorium with domed roof having a clear span of 120 metres.
It is the latest development on a site which already includes the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) and the Clyde Auditorium (known locally as The Armadillo), previously delivered by Lend Lease.
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 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 10,130. 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 £15 million ten year sponsorship agreement was signed between SEC Ltd and SSE plc, which will see the arena officially named as The Hydro.
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