Legends International & team selected to modernise Avicii Arena

Stockholm Globe Arena Fastigheter AB (SGAF) have announced a best-in-class team, led by the premium experiences company Legends International, has been appointed to support them in reimagining the performance space of Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Sweden, in accordance with preliminary decisions made by Stockholm City Council.

Legends International has been appointed to deliver project management services and to lead a team of experts in supporting SGAF, creating a concept design and contributing to the business case, with the focus on enhancing the fan and guest experience and additional revenue generation.

Mats Viker, CEO, SGAF, said:

It has been a long and rewarding process, and we feel confident that we, together with our tenant Stockholm Live among others, have procured a very competent team in Legends International. We are looking forward to working up proposals for the Stockholm City Council and begin the development of Avicii Arena.

Martin Jennings, Managing Director UK & Head of Global Planning for Legends International, said:

Avicii Arena is an iconic venue, which our team are privileged to be helping SGAF reimagine. We believe we have brought together a great combination of international design and project expertise, combined with local knowhow, to help SGAF make Avicii Arena a landmark venue for live entertainment and top-tier Ice Hockey for years to come.

John Rhodes, Director of Sports + Entertainment at HOK, said:

Avicii Arena is such a significant and wonderful landmark in Stockholm and has a long and storied history as a premier destination for concerts, entertainment and hockey. We are honoured to have the opportunity to collaborate with Legends International and SGAF to infuse the arena with new offerings and energy that will elevate the spectator, athlete and performer experience.

Project team

The project team comprises:

• Legends International (project managers): is a premium experiences company that specialises in delivering holistic solutions for legendary brands. Legends’ Global, multi-disciplinary service solutions collaborate on every project to ensure success across each of their verticals. Headquartered in London, together with their US colleagues, Legends’ experts have delivered over 1,800 innovative solutions across their six verticals. From creating a robust financial model for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, developing retail strategies for the Rio 2016 Olympics, providing award-winning catering at Manchester City, and 360-degree services for The View From The Shard – Legends International deliver it all.
• HOK (architects): HOK’s Sports + Entertainment practice specialises in the design of arenas, stadiums, ballparks, training facilities and entertainment centres. The group plans and designs world-class sports complexes that are centrepieces of successful, vibrant entertainment districts and communities. Current and recent arena projects include FC Barcelona’s New Palau Blaugrana in Barcelona, Spain; Casal España Arena in Valencia, Spain; Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi; the Footprint Center modernisation in Phoenix, Arizona; the renovation of State Farm Arena in Atlanta; and Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
• schlaich bergermann partner (structures): is an internationally renowned structural engineering and consulting firm based in Stuttgart, Germany with expertise in large-scale, long-span, high-rise, sports and entertainment projects which are architecturally and aesthetically pleasing, but also innovative, efficient and lightweight. With a multidisciplinary team of more than 200 members designing and delivering holistic and sustainable solutions, projects of note include many stadium projects for the FIFA World Cups in Korea and Japan, Germany, South Africa, Brazil, and the first fully demountable container stadium for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™, several club stadiums throughout the world, and various multipurpose arena projects in Europe. The rehabilitation of BC Place Stadium (Canada) or Stadium Maracanã (Brazil), and more recent projects such as Wanda Metropolitano Stadium (Spain), or Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Great Britain), are just a few of these highlights.
• Ramboll (engineering): Across the world, Ramboll’s 16,000 experts combine local experience with a global knowledge base to create sustainable cities and societies. In this project, Ramboll are leading building services engineers, including, for example, MEP, fire safety, sustainability and 3D scanning expertise. Ramboll Sweden and Ramboll UK are collaborating on this project, delivering enduring and resource-efficient solutions. Previous experience for the Ramboll team include work on the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Tampere Arena, Finland.
• Efterklang (acoustics): Based in Europe with a team of over 130 engineers with architectural, musical and physics backgrounds, Efterklang is appointed to design the acoustics for the arena. With a long running track record designing sports arenas and live performance venues, they work to optimise the sonic experience of live events by careful design of architectural form, materials and sound systems. Their recent work includes the new Bratislava Congress Center and they have provided acoustic designs for several sports arenas in the Nordics, including the Swedish Hockey Stadiums in Skellefteå, Karlstad and Umeå.
• Light Bureau (lighting): Having recently completed award-winning lighting projects such as The Twist at Kistefos Museum in Norway, Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre in Leeds, and the restoration of the Sammy Ofer Centre in London, Light Bureau has been appointed as the lighting designer at Avicii Arena. Light Bureau is a design studio based in London and Oslo, and has a portfolio of projects worldwide that showcase elegance and innovation in lighting.
• AFRY (cost management): AFRY are a European leader in engineering, design and advisory services, with a global reach. Since 2017, AFRY has provided cost calculation for the Globe Arena and has a history with the project throughout its lifetime. AFRY has consulted on many of the major stadiums in the Nordic countries including Tele2 Arena and Friends Arena in Stockholm.
• Movement Strategies (crowd dynamics): Movement Strategies, part of the GHD group of companies, is the world’s leading crowd dynamics consultancy, advising new-build and existing sports and entertainment venues, major events, transport and cultural venues globally. Long term clients include Liverpool Football Club (Anfield), The FA (Wembley Stadium), and AELTC (The Wimbledon Championships).

About Avicii Arena 

Avicii Arena, has, since it’s inauguration in 1989, been one of Stockholm’s most iconic buildings. With a volume of 605 000 cubic metres (approximately 2 136 540 cubic feet), this is the world’s largest spherical building. The arena serves as Sweden’s national hockey arena but also hosts a variety of other events and concerts. Through the years some of the world’s biggest artists have graced its main stage: The Rolling Stones, Metallica, Beyoncé, Madonna, and U2 to name a few. The vista from The Skyview, a gondola running along the outside of the structure’s curved wall, offers a spectacular view of southern Stockholm. Avicii Arena has been announced as host for the final of the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship. 

About SGAF

SGAF own, manage and develop the arenas in the Globe area, providing premises and facilities and actively participate in collaborations with other actors to increase the area’s attractiveness. SGAF’s buildings include Tele2 Arena, Avicii Arena including SkyView, Hovet, Annexet and the entertainment destination Tolv Stockholm. The activities in the arenas and facilities are conducted by commercial tenants, e.g., Stockholm Live, which is responsible for events in the arenas. Stockholm Globe Arena Fastigheter AB (SGA Fastigheter) is 100% owned by Stockholm’s Stadshus AB, which in turn is 100% owned by the City of Stockholm.

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