Client: Lancashire Cricket Ground, Old Trafford
Architect: BDP
Type of works:
Lancashire Cricket ground at Old Trafford has undergone a major redevelopment to help put it back in the running for international cricket events like the Ashes.
Old Trafford cricket ground already makes a large contribution to the Lancashire economy and helps to bring international sporting recognition to the area. The redevelopment will see the capacity of the cricket ground increase to 15,000 with standard seating and new grandstands, and a significant increase to 25,000 with additional temporary seating.
As part of the first phase of the redevelopment, Old Trafford Cricket ground has invested £12 million in a conference and events centre called ‘The Point’. This overlooks the cricket ground and has capacity to seat 1,000 guests and the flexibility to cater for a wide range of events. ‘The Point’ has been carefully designed by architects BDP and highly specified with many environmental innovations, including the Guardian SunGuard High Selective Super Neutral 62/34 glass used to help control the environment inside the conference and events centre, reducing the need for air conditioning in summer and space heating in winter.
The main glazed front of The Point faces south over the cricket ground, providing optimum views, but creating an architectural challenge, due to the vast amount of direct sunlight experienced on the south face of any building.
Additionally to this the architects had the added challenge of reducing the effect of the southern exposure without compromising the views over the cricket ground with tinted solar control glass.
The SunGuard High Selective, Super Neutral 62/34 glass used, was the ideal specification to cater for this scenario, as it allows an optimum light transmission of 62% ensuring the views over the ground are unspoilt. The glazing has a low solar heat gain performance of 34%, ensuring the area doesn’t overheat and an outside reflection of just 14% greatly reducing reflective glare from the south facing glazing, at players or the supporters watching the game. The light transmission of 62% also greatly helps to reduce glare from the sun inside the conference centre viewing gallery. Additionally, the large glazed areas are exceptionally well insulated with optimum U values of 1.0, helping to keep space heating cost down during winter months.
The redevelopment of Lancashire Cricket Ground is expected to attract an additional 71,000 visitors per year which translates into an additional £1m spend for the local economy. Phase one of the redevelopment is now complete, and the second phase now underway, which needs to be finished by late 2012 if the stadium is likely to win and host an Ashes test match in 2013.