Bristol Arena RIBA Invited Design Competition Introduction
The Bristol Arena project comprises the design and delivery of a multi-purpose indoor arena, to be located on the former diesel depot site adjacent to Temple Meads railway station in central Bristol. Bristol is one of the few remaining untapped UK markets without an Arena and the project will meet a strong city and sub-regional need for cultural, sporting and entertainment facilities.
A new arena will mean more visitors to the city and economic growth; it will be a catalyst for development in the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone and will allow local residents to see their favourite artists and shows within the city.
Bristol City Council (BCC) has approved up to £91m to finance a Bristol arena and is presently selecting and appointing an operator to run the facility. The operator will be responsible for programming, which is expected to comprise music concerts, family entertainment shows, exhibition, sports events, and other uses. BCC will develop the arena design with the appointed operators’ input, in particular the facility requirements agreed with the operator will become the brief to the design team for the design and construction of the arena.
Bristol Arena: RIBA Invited Design Competition 2 The Project
Bristol City Council have announced an Invited Design Competition providing multi-disciplinary design teams with the opportunity to design a 12,000 capacity entertainment arena in Bristol.
The experienced design team will have architectural and engineering capabilities as well as capabilities within the arena/performance venue field and significant knowledge of sustainability and the creation and development of urban spaces.
The purpose of the design competition is to select a multi- disciplinary design team that best demonstrates their ability to design an arena for Bristol which is affordable, compliant with Bristol City Council’s and the operator’s requirements, demonstrates industry best practice and shows innovation. It is the aspiration of Bristol City Council that the winning submission will be taken forward as the design for the Bristol Arena, however BCC reserve the right to require the winning design team to develop a new design in place of the design submitted in the competition.
Expressions of Interest are therefore invited from multi-disciplinary design teams worldwide for this project, prior to an invited shortlist proceeding to Stage 2. It is anticipated that the arena will open in summer of 2017.
As is common practice on projects of this scale involving public funds, the council has decided to notify the European Commission about the project in order to obtain state aid approval.
Bristol Arena: RIBA Invited Design Competition 3 Arena Vision
The Bristol Arena will offer one of the very The arena will need to be delivered to budget and to a quality set out in the Facility Requirements, yet still be special with an outstanding level of environmental performance. There is a key interface with the public best experiences for audiences, and will realm on the rest of the Arena Island development site, encouraging increased “dwell-time” for visitors be a venue which every major act will want and making the Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone (BTQEZ) and railway station accessible. “Arena to play. Island” will become a destination in its own right. The arena will have a horseshoe configuration as this offers the most flexibility for future use, with a It will create a “return-again” destination preferred capacity of 12,000 (standing and seated). This scale of venue will position Bristol favourably in the for its customers and a vibrant “Bristol national “league” of facilities and attract a strong entertainment programme. experience” for visitors, which makes our arena different from others. It will be at the forefront of arena programming and content, flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of music concerts, family entertainment shows, exhibition sports and other events. “Arena Island will become a destination in its own right.”
Bristol Arena: RIBA Invited Design Competition 4 Location
Bristol Arena will be located on the former Diesel Depot site (now known as Arena Island), which covers approximately 9 acres and will benefit from £11 Million investment by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to deliver a new access bridge and extend services to the site.
The site is located in the BTQEZ and in close proximity to the city Arena Island development site centre, major access roads, and Temple Meads railway station.
The South West Regional Development Agency (whose functions have now been assumed by the HCA) oversaw the remediation of the Diesel Depot site to the standards required for commercial and hard standing residential development. The remediation works were completed in October 2008 and received regulatory approval from BCC and the Environment Agency.
A Masterplanning process funded by the HCA is currently underway for the wider site. Further details will be provided at stage 2 of the design completion on how the masterplan will relate to the brief to the design team for the design and construction of the Arena. Additional development will be delivered on the rest of the site in response to this process, by a developer partner (to be appointed). Bristol Arena will be the key component of, and consideration for, the Masterplan and its operational and access requirements will be prioritised to ensure the venue’s success is maximised.
Bristol Arena: RIBA Invited Design Competition 5 Master plan
The key outputs of the master plan, the LL The arena will have the use of up to 250 car parking spaces on site, which will provide for disabled users, operator staff, and VIP parking. The operator will control use of staff and VIP parking spaces. draft of which will be produced for Autumn BCC is also exploring the delivery of additional public off-site car parking close to the arena. 2014 will be: LL The arena will be a catalyst to the development of the BTQEZ in terms of spatial planning, creating LL a site layout plan for the Arena Island site showing the jobs and generating economic and business rate growth. The BTQEZ is one of the largest urban proposed streets, public spaces, blocks and plots and key vistas; regeneration projects in the UK and is centred around the adjacent Bristol Temple Meads Railway establishing the indicative boundary of the block for the arena, Station, already a major national and international transport hub and whose role is to be enhanced and associated external public space and vehicular/pedestrian still further by electrification of the Great Western Mainline in 2016/2017. access routes; LL A number of existing bus routes run in close proximity to the arena site. These will be complemented LL a clear indication of the optimum location for active uses and by the Metrobus project, providing links from Ashton Vale to Temple Meads and the new bus frontages; and the suggested locations for ‘creative zones’, to be interchange adjacent to the station. located intra-block/in tertiary locations across the site; LL In addition the council has secured £21m funding towards infrastructure from the Revolving LL a plan showing land uses, and guidance on how to deliver a Investment Fund (RIF), which will provide for a number of infrastructure projects aimed at opening up diverse mix of uses, using such methods as limiting plot widths/ the Arena Island site and making the area around Temple Meads more accessible. frontages in certain locations; and mixing-uses horizontally;
LL a movement circulation plan showing pedestrian, cycle, vehicular routes and flows; together with public transport provision and car parking; and
LL a clear design context for the arena building, articulating its interface and relationship with the new streets, spaces and development blocks/plots proposed; paying particular attention to facilitating activity at street level, including impromptu performance space and meanwhile uses.
Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station
Bristol Arena: RIBA Invited Design Competition 6 Bristol
Bristol is the seventh largest city in England Bristol and the West of England’s cultural scene is one of the most vibrant, innovative and authentic in the country, with the region seeing a cultural and heritage turnover in excess of £100m per annum. and the economic capital of the South West. It is a multi-ethnic city and home to Our cultural offer is cited by many of our largest businesses as one of their main reasons for locating in the region, contributing to our high quality of life that sees the city retain more graduates than any other over 17,500 businesses. It is renowned for Core City. It encompasses, amongst many others, the Hippodrome, Academy Award winning Aardman its excellence in knowledge-intensive and Animations, a number of key works by Banksy, one of the UK’s largest public art programmes (www.aprb. co.uk), and the award winning M-Shed museum. An array of small and medium sized venues continues creative industries and over 35% of the to thrive and cultivate music, which produced the Bristol Sound: Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky. UK owned FTSE 100 companies have a significant presence in the Bristol area.
Bristol Arena: RIBA Invited Design Competition 7 In March 2014 the city was named the number one city in the country for Quality of Life for its residents in The Sunday Times “Best Places to Live in Britain” report. Bristol’s cultural offer is well encapsulated in this quote from the Lonely Planet,
“The city has steadily reclaimed its rightful place as an economic powerhouse, gastronomic centre and a cultural force to be reckoned with… The streets are packed with cutting-edge restaurants, designer bars and world-class museums; and the city’s music, media and nightlife scenes are all showing the rest of the country how things should be done. If you really want to know exactly where Britain’s at right now, then Bristol is hard to beat.”
Lonely Planet, Britain, 2009 (current edition)
The European Commission has recognised Bristol’s success in creating a green city with a high quality of life by naming the city as European Green Capital 2015. This prestigious award gives Bristol a unique opportunity to further enhance the city’s reputation for creativity, culture and innovation. It was awarded due to our ability to demonstrate rapid progress, and continuing ambition, across a wide range of quality of life, environmental and green business aspects.
In May 2012, the citizens of Bristol voted in favour of electing a Mayor to lead the Council. George Ferguson was elected as Mayor on 15th November 2012. There is a “rainbow” cabinet currently comprising Councillors from the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green parties. The next Mayoral Election will take place in May 2016.
Bristol Arena: RIBA Invited Design Competition 8 The Outline Project Brief
The draft facility requirements for the Bristol Overview Scale Arena are provided within this outline brief. Bristol Arena will form an existing Bristol music scene. The The arena will be a flexible, The requirements will be refined important part of the image arena building will be flexible scalable venue, designed of Bristol, it should be vibrant enough to accommodate a wide primarily around the need for and changed through the Operator and active, be loved by local variety of events and be able to concerts and entertainment procurement, agreed and will become the people and provide them with respond to any future trends. events. It will be capable of employment, contributing to the hosting 12,000 spectators brief to the design team for the design and life of the city, its people and The design of the building will for end stage concerts. construction of the arena. visitors well into the future. be flexible and it is incumbent on the designers to ensure that The venue will be marketed the facilities are easy to maintain, regionally, nationally and with hardwearing finishes for internationally and must be example, which will take account seen to be of a high quality, of the cost-in-use aspects of the when measured against similar buildings’ operation. As well as facilities in order to attract the making sure that the building top performers. The venue will retains its quality feel in the be a quality, flexible, music and future, this approach should also entertainment-focussed arena. It aid in keeping operational costs will enable Bristol to be a venue to a minimum. of choice and an integral part of national/international touring The facility is to be accessible schedules. to all users, including but not limited to; promoters, hirers and It should complement and work the general public including in harmony with existing venues those with a disability. and actively seek to develop the
Bristol Arena: RIBA Invited Design Competition 9 The Outline Project Brief
Building size Building Facilities
The project budget provides for The Arena will contain the following core facilities: These requirements will be met by organising the venue into three a maximum Gross Internal Area primary elements (GIA) of 24,400m2 including the LL Main event arena auditorium (horseshoe configuration) LL Front of House – This is the public area and includes fixed seating bowl but excluding LL Event Operation Support Facilities including Changing/Star & public entrances, concourse areas, food and beverage and the service yard; a building Band areas, Event Administration & Crew catering footprint has been assumed merchandising offer, WCs and event seating and certain areas of LL Staff changing & locker rooms, first aid rooms, promoters areas as 12,500m2 with an additional the event floor. and storage rooms external loading bay area LL Back of House (BOH) – Venue Operations & Management. of 2,000m2. LL Venue Operation and Administration areas. This is primarily the operator’s service area, and will include; LL Audience and staff toilets The current assumption is that office and administration areas, changing/locker areas, medical the building will be accessed at LL Food and retail concessions rooms and storage rooms, kitchens, plant and services rooms and ground floor level from a main external service yard LL Restaurants and kitchens entrance off the public realm LL Back of House (BOH) – This is primarily the area that the artist and the arena floor and loading LL Corporate boxes/VIP seating and their support team(s) or conference and exhibition organisers bay will be level with the existing LL Circulation spaces inhabit, and will include the production areas of the event floor ground level. LL Plant and services rooms and stage, changing rooms, star & band dressing rooms, act & promoters offices, storage for events and conference and LL Service yard, loading area and Outside Broadcast spaces exhibition equipment, to include crew and support team welfare LL Control rooms and comfort facilities. LL Mixing Desk area LL Public realm around periphery of the building for access and emergency evacuation LL DDA, VIP, Coach and secure cycle parking
Bristol Arena: RIBA Invited Design Competition 10 The Outline Project Brief
Design life Design Development Sustainable details of the technical advisors Building role and relationship to the Standards Development design team will be provided Management System at stage 2 of the design The non-replaceable structural The building must have a good Recognising Bristol’s competition. A complete Building elements of all constructed quality, functional design that commitment to sustainability Management System (BMS) will assets shall be consistent with a contributes to the reputation and future status of European Public Art be provided as a centralised design life of 60 years. and life of the city, is integrated Green Capital 2015, the council’s efficient means of controlling and into its surroundings and most aspiration is to achieve high managing the building services In line with the Local Planning All replaceable components shall importantly is in accordance levels of sustainable building systems using a future proof Authority’s Public Art Policy, a be selected to have a service life with the project budget. design and performance. A family of freely programmable budget has been allocated within appropriate to their context and sustainable design approach will management and automation the Bristol Arena Budget for the this structural life. be undertaken within the cost stations for the full spectrum of provision of a curated programme plan and statutory parameters. building services applications. of public art, part of which is included within the build cost The building will be constructed Project Budget so as to avoid unnecessary of the Bristol Arena. A public art energy consumption for heating, consultant has been included in hot water, cooling, ventilation the list of required services, which The Council has approved up to and lighting while at the will include a curatorial role. £91m to finance the project, of same time achieving healthy which £86m has been allocated conditions. The design and to the arena itself including construction of the building allowances for fees, contingency, shall be in line with the BREEAM FF&E and inflation. A high level sustainable industry standard summary of the cost plan will method of measurement. be provided at stage 2 of the BCC is presently procuring a competition. technical advisor whose role will include BREEAM Accredited Professional services, further
Bristol Arena: RIBA Invited Design Competition 11 The Outline Project Brief
The Design Team Qualifications & Novation Practising architects within the multi-disciplinary design team Membership must be registered with the Architects Registration Board Expressions of Interest are invited worldwide from multi-disciplinary The individual members of It is intended that in the UK, or an equivalent design teams resourced with the capabilities and experience the design team should hold the appointment of a regulatory authority for overseas necessary to deliver the following services: professional qualifications and multidisciplinary design team based applicants. membership in accordance with will be followed by a two stage LL Architecture Organisations may be included national requirements design and build procurement LL Structure engineering within more than one design and standards. to appoint a building contractor team, subject to the following: LL Building services engineering to construct the Arena for LL Acoustic engineering Building Information the planned opening date of LL lead organisations cannot be LL Sustainability engineering summer of 2017. It is anticipated members of more than one Modelling that the design team will be design team Named personnel for the following services will not be required until novated to the Design and Build the second stage of the design competition. LL named personnel from an The design team must have Contractor at either RIBA Stage organisation may only be part LL Transport engineering the experience and skills to be 3 or 4. of one design team LL Environmental engineering capable of achieving a minimum The organisation appointed as LL Fire engineering BIM Level 2, Building Information Eligibility Modelling and Management on the client’s technical advisor LL Civil engineering completion. The design team cannot be a member within a LL Internal design The multi-disciplinary design services includes Information design team. team can be led by a consultancy LL Landscape architecture Management to set up and with suitable experience, which LL Façade engineering manage the Common Data could include an engineering LL Health and safety design management Environment (CDE), to ensure or architectural practice. LL Access consultancy services, including pedestrian flow modelling effective collaboration, quality Collaborative submissions are control and avoidance of waste LL Specialist lighting design encouraged. A combination to meet the requirements of the LL Security and anti-terrorism design of arena experience and an BIM Protocol and the processes LL Information technology engineering understanding of the specific set out in PAS 1192:2. LL Public art consultancy Architecture will be of significant LL Information management importance.
Bristol Arena: RIBA Invited Design Competition 12 Competition Format
Stage one: Stage two Use of Submitted Designs
Expressions of Interest / Selection Submission and presentation It shall be a condition of entering into of Shortlist of design concepts to RIBA the competition that Bristol City Council Stage 2. has the right to utilise any ideas (or part a) Expressions of Interest (EOI) and Pre- of them) contained within or generated Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) c) Five teams will be invited to the design by the submissions as part of the design, invited from multi-disciplinary design stage, which will involve a site visit and building and/or operation of the Arena teams. The PQQ will be subject to briefing session [and the entrants shall if so requested by an independent check by Bristol City Bristol City Council at any time execute Council and in order to proceed further, d) Final judging will involve a presentation such documents and perform such acts teams will need to meet the criteria and interview with each shortlisted as may be required to fully and effectively outlined in the PQQ team assure Bristol City Council of such rights]. b) Using the ‘Selection Criteria’ to assess Each team short-listed to proceed to the the EOI’s, a shortlist of five will be design phase of the competition shall selected and invited to the design receive an honorarium of £20,000 (plus stage of the competition VAT).
Payments will be due following submission and presentation of design proposals at a final interview and shall be made to the lead consultant of each team.
Bristol Arena: RIBA Invited Design Competition 13 Competition Programme
Key dates, which may be subject to alteration, are as follows:
Activity Date Competition Launched 8 August 2014 Deadline for receipt of PQQs & Expressions of Interest 14:00 hours on 18 September 2014 Selection of shortlist 19 September – 20 October 2014 Site Visit / Briefing Sessions for shortlisted design teams 20 October – 14 November 2014 Stage 2 brief issued 17 November 2014 Submission of Stage 2 material 12 January 2015 Online Public Consultation/Exhibition 19 January 2014 – 30 January 2015 BCC reserves the right to amend the estimated timetable if necessary Interviews / Presentations 26 January 2015 – 30 January 2015 and not to proceed beyond the competition in the event that no one Final Evaluation 2 February 2015 – 13 February 2015 submission meets the requirements and aspirations set for this Notification to Teams and Standstill period 13 – 27 February 2015 competition.
Provisional Project Programme
Activity Date Procure Arena Operator May 2014-December 2014 Procure design team August 2014- February 2015 Design development & planning application February 2015 – July 2015 2 Stage Design and Build contractor procurement and design development March 2015 – January 2016 Construction and fit out January 2016 – June 2017 Facility opens Summer 2017
* BCC reserves the right to amend the above estimated timetable if necessary.
Bristol Arena: RIBA Invited Design Competition 14 Stage 1 Submission requirements
Please refer to: In addition to representative illustrations Submission method LL The Unique Registration Number – and sketches, the following information URN – (supplied on registration) must LL Instructions for completing The PQQ should be provided for each case study/ be prominently displayed on the front A digital copy of submissions must be document example: cover of each Expression of Interest uploaded to the RIBA Digital Entry system LL PQQ Selection Criteria Document document (in the top right corner). no later than 14.00 hours on Thursday 18 LL Instruction contained within the PQQ LL Name of the personnel the example/ The name of the lead organisation September 2014. Further details will be document case study is attributed to should also be prominently displayed. issued to registered competitors. LL Client name LL Late submissions will not be accepted Please note: Guidance on case studies LL Project completion date and it will not be possible to submit and examples LL Anticipated and final duration of the LL Only teams responding in accordance entries via e-mail. project with the submission requirements and Case studies and examples should be LL Anticipated and final budget deadline for receipt of applications will Selection Criteria be considered. from projects completed during the LL Text should illustrate the relevance of previous 10 years. Projects undertaken the project or design approach LL There is a 30mb total file size limit In order to proceed further, teams will at a previous practice may be included LL For the Case study additional therefore competitors should ensure need to meet the criteria outlined in the but the role in developing and delivering explanatory notes should be provided that their total upload does not exceed Arena Design Competition Selection the scheme (design team leader, project if the duration and/or final budget this. Criteria document, which provides architect etc) must be clearly articulated. exceeded the original projections. LL The Pre-Qualification Questionnaire detailed guidance on how the PQQ will be assessed. The criteria includes Organisations/consortiums should must be annotated with the Unique Images featured within the submission Registration Number (supplied on assessment of financial standing , which is consider the relevance and relative should be clearly annotated to explain set at £8,000,0000 plus turnover per year merits of projects within their portfolio, registration) in the appropriate box of which projects refer to which member the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire. for individual organisations or aggregated together with the selection criteria and of the proposed team. The distinction together for consortiums. It is intended relative weightings against which these should be clearly made between that five teams will be invited to proceed will be assessed. Whilst the inclusion of photographic images of completed to the design phase of the competition. an ‘incomplete’ project (i.e. projects that projects, and computer generated are on, or are about to start on site) as a visualisations of on-going projects or case study will not deem the submission competition submissions. unacceptable, it may limit the ability for its qualities to be assessed.
Bristol Arena: RIBA Invited Design Competition 15 Stage 2 (Design concept phase)
The second stage of the It is anticipated the second stage Judging Panel Award criteria and Registrations can be made online design competition will be will include: via the website www.architecture. used to select the multi- form of contract com/competitions. Please go LL A site visit and ‘open’ briefing The panel will include disciplinary design team that to the Live Competitions page session representatives of BCC, industry best demonstrates their ability Details of the Award Criteria and where you will be required to professionals and Lynne Sullivan to design an arena for Bristol LL Submission of up to 6x digital form of contract will be included sign in to make your payment. If OBE – architect from Sustainable which is affordable, compliant A1 ‘boards’ to illustrate in the Stage 2 Design Brief and you have not used the website by Design acting as RIBA with BCC’s and the operator’s ability and innovation, supporting documents. before, you will need to go Adviser. Joanne Wallis (RIBA requirements, demonstrates possible design approach, through a short sign up process Competitions) will attend the industry best practice and shows accompanying design report, before proceeding to the assessments to document the Documentation innovation. It is the aspiration of indicative cost estimate and payment area. selection process and provide BCC that the winning submission fee proposal (to cover all charge & how to procedural support. will be taken forward as the proposed consultants) register Once your payment has been processed you will automatically design for the Bristol Arena, LL Public display of part of To aid the judging panel’s receive confirmation of your however BCC reserve the right to the submission. Any public assessment the client’s team of There is a registration/ registration. RIBA Competitions require the winning design team comments and/or vote will consultant advisors (including documentation charge of £50 will send your unique to develop a new design in place be considered by the judging the Technical Advisor, Cost (plus VAT). Upon payment of identification number and a copy of the design submitted in the panel, but will not directly Consultant, Commercial this charge RIBA Competitions of the PQQ to the email address competition. select the winning multi- Advisor, Legal Advisors and will issue you with a Unique provided within two working disciplinary design team. CDM co-ordinator) will report Registration Number (URN) and days. LL Final judging will involve an to the judging panel on their a word format version of the interview with each short- professional assessment of the pre-qualification questionnaire listed team and presentation submissions. relating to the project. Only of design proposals. submissions bearing a URN and accompanied by the PQQ will be accepted.
Bristol Arena: RIBA Invited Design Competition 16 Enquiries
The competition is being managed by RIBA Competitions. Any enquiries should be addressed to the RIBA. Members of the Judging Panel and the client team should not be solicited for information as this may lead to disqualification from the competition.
RIBA Competitions The Studio (5th Floor) 32 The Calls Leeds LS2 7EW
T : + 44 (0) 113 203 1490
E: [email protected] W: www.architecture.com/competitions
Bristol Design BD5725 Aug 2014