British architecture firm Stufish has designed a hexagonal arena in East London that will be the home of Swedish pop group ABBA’s virtual tour.
The hexagonal ABBA Arena by British architecture firm Stufish in East London will be the venue for the virtual tour of Swedish pop group ABBA.
Called ABBA Arena, the 3,000-seat venue near Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was built as the venue for ABBA’s virtual reality reunion tour, which began on May 27, 2022.
According to Stufish, it’s the largest collapsible venue in the world and will be relocated when the show ends in five years.
The shape of the hexagonal space, which was built by event and facility specialists ES Global, was directly derived from the audience’s need to have an uninterrupted view of the digital show.
“ABBA Arena was designed from the inside out, which means that show requirements and audience experiences were the main driver for everything that followed,” CEO Dezeen told Stufish Ray Winkler.
“The seating arrangement and relationship to the screen and stage required a large single-span space that could provide all the logistical and technical requirements of the show while maintaining and enhancing the magic of the performance,” he continued.
“It combines live performance with Abbatars in a way never done before, blending the digital with the physical that blurs the lines between the two.”
The 25.5 meter high building was made of steel and solid wood. It is encased in vertical wooden slats that incorporate a large LED ABBA logo.
Through the slatted exterior, you can glimpse the large geodesic steel domed ceiling that wraps around the arena, which has 1,650 seats and space for a standing audience of 1,350.
“Beyond sustainable credentials [da madeira] and connect with Scandinavian architecture, the wooden slats give the exterior a clean, modern look that covers a large area with efficient use of the material, “said Winkler.
The ABBA Voyage tour is a virtual show in which the four members of the Swedish pop group are projected onto a 65 million pixel screen. Digital avatars play the group’s music for a 90-minute virtual show.
The interior is designed to create an uninterrupted space of 70 meters of columns where the 360-degree experience can take place without compromising the view of the public.
The structure has a foldable design that allows the site to be broken down into sections and relocated to other locations after the ABBA’s virtual residence.
A honeycomb-shaped wooden canopy, built by Stage One, extends from the venue’s entrance to the venue’s entrance, protecting visitors from abroad.
Under the canopy and leading to the venue, a guest lounge, restrooms, as well as food, drink and retail stalls were organized in hexagonal modules to echo the geometry of the site.
The arena was allowed to remain on the East London site for five years.
Stufish is responsible for creating various venues around the world. In China, the architecture firm wrapped a theater in a wavy golden facade. In 2021, he unveiled his blueprint for a socially distanced vertical theater in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
* Via Dezeen
Source: Terra
Benjamin Smith is a fashion journalist and author at Gossipify, known for his coverage of the latest fashion trends and industry insights. He writes about clothing, shoes, accessories, and runway shows, providing in-depth analysis and unique perspectives. He’s respected for his ability to spot emerging designers and trends, and for providing practical fashion advice to readers.
