Ice Arena Wales

Ice Arena Wales
Canolfan Iâ Cymru
The Ice Arena Wales in February 2016
Location Cardiff International Sports Village, Cardiff Bay.
Coordinates 51°27′02″N 3°10′54″W / 51.4505°N 3.1817°W / 51.4505; -3.1817Coordinates: 51°27′02″N 3°10′54″W / 51.4505°N 3.1817°W / 51.4505; -3.1817
Capacity 3,088
Construction
Broke ground 29 May 2014
Opened 12 March 2016 (2016-03-12)
Construction cost £17M (approximately)
Architect Scott Brownrigg
Structural engineer Arup
Main contractors Kier Group
Tenants
Cardiff Devils
Cardiff Redhawks
Website
www.icearenawales.co.uk

Ice Arena Wales (IAW) (Welsh: Canolfan Iâ Cymru) is an ice hockey rink in the Cardiff International Sports Village in Cardiff, Wales. It opened on 12 March 2016, and has two ice rinks and seating for 3,088 spectators.

It is home to the Cardiff Devils ice hockey team, who play in the professional British Elite Ice Hockey League, which is the top tier of ice hockey in the UK. It replaced the Cardiff Arena, which was close to the current Ice Arena Wales site. The Cardiff Arena (affectionately named the Big Blue Tent) was a temporary structure, built after the Wales National Ice Rink was demolished in September 2006. The Cardiff Devils played their first game at the arena against Belfast Giants on 12 March 2016.

History

The arena during construction in August 2014

Cardiff Council had named the operator Planet Ice as the company they had chosen to build a new ice rink to replace the Cardiff Arena, which is a temporary structure in the Cardiff International Sports Village. Work was due to begin in early 2011, subject to planning, with the ice arena to be completed by February 2012. Planet Ice would have run the rink as well as design and build it.[1]

However, by July 2011, Cardiff Council said in statement "We were unable to find the comfort that we required from them to show the ice rink would now be progressed. As a result it is being recommended that the executive cancels the current tender. Instead it is proposed to deliver a new ice arena, as a priority, within a new waterfront tender which would go out this summer."[2] The contract to build the arena was eventually won by the Wigan-based developers, Greenbank Partnerships. The cost of the arena is approximately £16 – £17 million and will form part of a larger £250M development, which will include a 32-storey indoor ski slope which will contain a hotel and apartments, and viewing platform. The development will also contain cafes, shops, office space, apartments and townhouses.[3]

Inside the Ice Arena Wales in February 2016

The last game in the Cardiff Arena (also known as the Big Blue Tent) was played against Coventry Blaze on 27 February 2016. The first game in Ice Arena Wales was Belfast Giants on 12 March 2016.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ BBC News | Planet Ice to build Cardiff sports village ice rink
  2. ↑ BBC News | Planet Ice rink: Cardiff council considers new tender
  3. ↑ BBC News | Cardiff Bay ice arena: Planning permission for first phase of development
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