Five shortlisted designs for the Bristol Arena revealed

Five shortlisted designs for the £90 million Bristol Arena have been revealed following a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) International Design Competition.

The five entries for the 12,000 capacity indoor entertainment venue will go on display to the public from today (29th January) and local residents and businesses are being asked for their comments.

The design teams, all with experience of delivering major venues in the UK or overseas, are:

  • Grimshaw – Architects of the Eden project

(with MANICA Architecture, Thornton Tomasetti, M-E Engineers and Neil Woodger Acoustics)

  • IDOM – Designers of the Bilbao Arena

(in collaboration with Foreman Roberts and Nagata Acoustics)

  • Populous – Architects for the London Olympic Stadium

(with Feilden Clegg Bradley, Buro Happold and Vanguardia)

  • White Arkitekter – Architects for Kiruna City Plan, Sweden

(with Arup and Sandy Brown Acoustic Consultant)

  • Wilkinson Eyre – Architects for Liverpool Arena

(with Arup)


The public will not know which team is responsible for which design until the successful team has been selected in March. The design competition will be judged by a panel including the Mayor of Bristol, representatives from Bristol City Council and RIBA, an experienced music and performing arts promoter and a leading structural engineer with experience of arena and stadium engineering. They will make the final decision on the successful design which will be judged against criteria including:

  • The architectural concept, how it fits within the urban context and offers a vibrant experience
  • The deliverability and affordability of the design
  • The flexibility, efficiency and sustainability of the venue

How the design meets all the requirements of Bristol City Council and the operator SMG and Live Nation