Artform Urban Furniture provided stone seating solutions for the newly renovated Montem Ice Arena, Slough.

The Montem Ice Arena in Slough was first opened in 1980’s and was closed in 2016 due the the building’s decrepit state. A part of extensive renovations, the arena itself has been extended an extra 1,000m2 as part of the new two-storey extension that also holds the new entrance, climbing wall, gym and cafe.

The original design plans for the external space was to install brightly coloured red and yellow stone pebble like seating but following lengthy discussions with the clients and the Artform Team, it was recommended that the special painted colour finish was not suitable for the demands of location.

Over the course of the project budgets fluctuated and due to the common value engineering process, quantities were reduced to manage the overall budget. Any changes in the specification were managed by the Artform team to ensure that the end result matched the client’s ambitions.

The products chosen included two Moonstone Benches and two Stone Benches. Artform’s inhouse design team provided technical drawings to confirm that the units would fit within the space available, including the large foundations required for the heavy moonstone units.

Artform were a part of the project from the very beginning and were available to tackle the challenges with their expertise. The recommendation of not implementing the painted finish was to protect the lifespan of the products and reduce maintenance requirements.

The new Ice Arena has improved a part of Slough by revitalising the space it inhabits to encourage the wider community to come together and be social.

Mike Goodall, Director Oobe - “We were looking for outdoor furniture that was very different, striking and could provide a contemporary feel to compliment a specialist theme, so something that was pretty unique.

“The furniture looks fantastic in our scheme. We were aiming for a landscape that pulls visitors towards the building - the furniture not only provides a fantastic meeting point, but also creates a high visual impact, complementing the landscape and building.”