Skydome Arena, Coventry
February 1999
SPACE & PLACE were appointed in 1999 to design the Coventry Skydome.
On the site of a former GEC building in Coventry, the project combined many commercial leisure elements, including a 2,000 seat Odeon cinema, family entertainment centre, restaurants and bars, a twin scene Diva and Ikon nightclub with capacities of up to 3,000 people and an indoor arena.
Skydome has a floor area of 18,500m2 and a height of 16m. The elevation fronts onto a conservation area on Spon Street that has many listed buildings, including the GEC building façade which was retained to maintain the character of the street.
The arena was conceived as an ice rink; however it has the ability to convert to a multipurpose hall, with a maximum occupancy of 4,000 people. It is now home to the English Basketball Association and has hosted a wide range of events including boxing competitions, pop concerts, ice hockey and regular ice dance sessions.