Architectural design of a multi-functional arena

The new proposal for the Burgas Arena complies with the main principles set down in the brief i.e.

·         A Building for indoor Athletics

·         An Arena for Handball, Basketball and Boxing

·         A Concert Hall

·         A place for Congress and conference

·         An Expo Center

The new Arena will provide the space of the International, National and local sports and events;

It is as stated “a hybrid arena” or as we determine it a paradigm, providing both a place for interactive physical and virtual functions.

Equally, an Arena as a public building will want to achieve 3 things: Identity, Efficiency and Flexibility. Our proposal therefore responds to these 3 conditions as positive constraints.

I- Identity: Metaphorically we found the symbol of the road stone as a marker on a path which signifies a determined way and frontier.

E- Efficiency: The investment in a new building requires a developer to think of the next 20-25 years in the context of the life-span of the building up to 50-60 years. Therefore investing in the envelope of the building can reduce not only running costs but the investment in high-capacity mechanical equipment. We propose therefore a high-performance envelope of the volume – the Facade / roof is designed as a shell that reduces volume and provides the maximum thermal envelop.

F- Flexibility: The Arena as a function must be default respond to different demands both in time and spatial use. What does this mean?  The Arena must provide a function as a place of activity, resource for training and a container.  The main Areas of the Arena are therefore to provide containers for Activity and People.

These three attributes IEF provide the principles to the complete project.

The Arena has been re-invented, re-interpreted and represented in numerous models, objects and spaces. We do not pretend to break the mould here but provide a continuum of this tradition of the Arena environment.

The Place of Events is by default nowadays somewhere we can spend up to 2 hours in a lifetime or every day and therefore the sense of place and space should be dynamic yet functional and comfortable. This proposal provides opportunity for the user to enter a “great environment“ and enjoy a place of events which is exciting and relevant for large gatherings.

As a place the Arena must enhance a sense of community and social network which can support a growing and modern society. By responding to such contemporary issue the Arena can provide multivariate place for learning, study and socialising.

As a space which can hold 100-10,000 people it has been essential to create opportunity for flexible and multi-use areas.