EDDIE IZZARD

Project: Converting hotel balconies into hospitality areas for cricket
By: Arena Seating
The unique setting at Southampton’s
Ageas Bowl cricket ground – where
a hotel overlooks the field of play
– offers great potential for large scale
events. The flexible design incorporated
into the hotel rooms facing the cricket field
means that they can be used as hospitality
suites during high-profile games, such as
England’s one day internationals against
Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.
While all beds are removed from rooms,
almost all of the other items of furniture
are utilised in the hospitality layout.
According to Stuart Robertson, AGEAS
Bowl’s commercial director, the conversion
from hotel room to hospitality suite is
When a pair of entrepreneur
brothers were looking to set up
an adrenaline sports facility in
the north east of England, they needed
a flexible space to fit it all in. The Infinite
Air extreme trampoline park, covering
35,000sq ft at the Soccarena in New
Ferens Park, Durham, features more than
80 interconnected trampolines, dodgeball
court areas and basketball lanes as well as a
planned area for free running.
The £600,000 facility is the brainchild
of Richard and Chris Knowles, co-owners
of Coretech Sports. The pair approached
Rubb to design, manufacture and install a
flexible space – including the framework
and trampoline systems – within the
quick. “It only takes about an hour per
room,” he says. “The additional spectator
seating built on the balconies, however,
means that the room is off sale for two to
three nights around the game.”
Following the conversion of the
room, the balconies are installed with
tiered seating. Arena Seating supplied
10 clearview seats, mounted on bespoke
frames, for each balcony which can be
converted into a hospitality box. Arena
lifted the seats into place using a boom
lift from the outside, limiting disruption
to hotel guests. In total, 17 rooms were
converted for the game against New
Zealand and 24 against Australia.
Project: Infinite Air, the UK’s largest trampoline and freerunning park
By: Rubb Building Systems
Soccarena facility. Rubb has also provided
platforms, dodgeball and basketball
equipment, netting and handrails.
The main trampoline arena includes a
‘fast track’, rebound walls and flat-padded
sections along with interconnected
individual trampolines for ‘free jumping’
and fitness sessions. Three ‘Slam Dunk’
trampoline basketball lanes have
NBA-standard backboards and hoops. Wallrunning
trampolines have been installed
and individual coaching will be offered to
help people improve their bouncing. The
park will also have a gymnastic ‘tricking and
tumbling floor’ where people can learn new
tricks and a purpose-built area dedicated to
the modern sport of free running.
The 35,000sq ft space features more than 80 interconnected trampolines and other facilities
The Cranford Superdome in West London
Project: Cranford Superdome
By: Collinson
Queens Park Rangers Football
Club (QPR) has opened
the Cranford Superdome in
partnership with Cranford
Community College (CCC). The dome,
located within the college campus in
Cranford, West London, will be available
during the school day for use by CCC
pupils and other schools. It will be used
by QPR’s academy players mainly in the
early evening, and will be available for
hire by members of the community in
the late evening and at weekends.
Supplied by Collinson, the new
4,680sq m AirDome houses a full-size
3G football pitch with a 3m roll off area.
The translucent double skin membrane
allows sun light to permeate into the
facility to create a light, airy playing
environment whilst the innovative
design of integral air pockets provide
insulation, making savings on energy.
Mark Donnelly, QPR chief operating
officer, said the project took Collinson
just 15 weeks to complete. “From order
to completion the project has run like
clockwork,” he said. “The AirDome is
a great coaching environment, during
the harsh winter it will allow our
training sessions to continue, helping
to develop and progress players’ skills
from an early age.”
As well as providing QPR with an allweather
training location for its young
stars, the dome will allow the college
to carry out football and rugby training
whatever the weather – a huge bonus
for sports which have previously had
limited indoor space in the area, often
resulting in the cancellation of games.
Kevin Prunty, executive headteacher
at CCC, said: “The Cranford Superdome
is an amazing structure which will inspire
all who use it. Not only is this a welcome
addition to Hounslow’s sports facilities
but we are investigating its use for a
range of events and activities.”
sportsmanagement.co.uk issue 4 2015 © Cybertrek 2015 77