A NEW indoor arena, being built on the banks of the Clyde river, will be capable of allowing 12,000 people to simultaneously use its wi-fi system – says a media release announcing its technical specifications.
Says the people behind The SSE Hydro – pictured as it is expected to look when building is finally complete – the complex will also boast 145 digital screens and so-called ‘arenamation’ displaying 137 metres of uninterrupted media.
Continues the release: “The real-time digital screens will be supplied by Sony, the latest major brand to partner with the venue and will support an IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) system. Four double-sided Totems (3.3m tall) will also be installed with a 60-inch High Bright LCD display on one face and a ‘light box’ for printed posters on the reverse.
“Visitors to the venue will also be greeted by the glowing, translucent skin of its ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) cushions, which can either have light or images projected onto the surface. At the front, two High Definition video projectors will also project a 17m x 10.7m graphic on to the ETFE cladding during hours of darkness.”
Technical manager at The SSE Hydro and neighbouring SECC, Tony Edwards, is quoted, as saying: “The Hydro is a very unique digital and wi-fi connected building which will come alive before your eyes. We have been working with our digital partners to bring visitors an experience on a par with top venues worldwide and like nothing ever seen before in Scotland.”
The SSE Hydro is set to open on the 30th of this month, with a concert by Rod Stewart.
The release goes on to say of the Foster + Partners-designed building: “A truly iconic structure, it will host national and international music mega stars as well as global entertainment and sporting events. It will have the potential to inject an additional £131 million annually into the local economy and with a capacity of 12,000, will stage around 140 events a year.
“With an audience of one million visitors each year, The Hydro aims to be one of the top five busiest indoor music arenas in the world alongside such iconic venues as Madison Square Garden and The O2 arena.”
