Allianz Park is located in Mill Hill, on the site of the former Copthill Stadium, and will be used by the local community as well as Saracens
required rugby pitch and run off dimen- sions and then be taken away to allow athletics to take place on the track.”
ECO FRIENDLY Being low maintenance and not re- quiring regular watering and other energy-rich operations, the artificial surface fits in well with the operational ethos of Allianz Park – to become one of the most sustainable sports venues in Europe. As a club, Saracens has made sustainability one of its core values and from the outset worked closely with its partner – the London Borough of Barnet – to set challenging environmental tar- gets for the development. The site itself – the Copthill stadium
complex – was in a very poor state of repair due to underinvestment in the facilities over a prolonged period. Ac- cording to stadium director Gordon Banks, this offered the opportunity to ‘start again’ and to use the project as a catalyst for the regeneration in the area. “Our aim has been to regenerate the
area; albeit with an element of new build to bring the facilities up to the standards required for both elite and community sport,” Banks said. “The highest level of sustainability in any development can only be achieved when environmental considerations are a guiding principle.
Issue 3 2013 © cybertrek 2013 “It began with the
selection of the site, included the design of the building, the selection of materi- als, the construction process and, probably most importantly, the occupation and oper- ation of the facility.” SIS too played its
part in reducing the carbon footprint of the venue, as the company has a strong track record in sustainable op- erations. SIS’s operations director Phil Blackwell said: “New synthetic carpet is manufactured to our own tufting plans which are designed to minimise waste, while rubber used for either infill or to make the shock pad is supplied by Murf- itts, which manufactures the product from recycled truck tyres.” Due to its commitment to host commu-
nity events and a range of sports other than rugby, Allianz Park has also been designed to be flexible. Arena Seating designed and installed three separate grandstands, enabling stadium capacity to be altered to specific needs. Arena’s design means that seats can be moved
The flexible seating at Allianz Park was installed by Arena Group
off the running track during the closed season, allowing athletics to take place. The success of the Allianz Park turf has
meant that other rugby clubs and associ- ations are considering installing artificial pitches at their venues. While Cardiff Blues already has one, the Welsh Rugby Union is examining the use of artificial turf at the Millennium Stadium – a venue which has suffered well-documented problems with its natural grass. It might not be long until the archetypal,
dirt-covered rugby player – as captured in the iconic ‘mudman’ image of former Lions prop Fran Cotton against the All Blacks – could become a thing of the past. l
Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital 69
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84