World's largest arena to open in Manila in 2014

Construction of the world's largest domed indoor arena, the Philippine Arena, is advancing near the Philippine capital of Manila, with the completed venue set to open in July next year.

The 50,000 seat indoor stadium, with a construction value of US$200 million, has been commissioned by the Philippines' Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC - the Church of Christ) and will be complete in time for the Church's centennial celebration next year.

The venue sits at the heart of Ciudad de Victoria, a 75-hectare tourism enterprise zone in Bocaue and Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippines. With a capacity of up to 55,000, the Philippine Arena will be at the centerpiece of the many INC centennial projects planned around the Church's centennial celebration on 27th July 2014.

Once complete, the Philippine Arena will not only hold major church gatherings, but it will also operate as a multi-use sports and concert venue, capable of holding a range of events from boxing and basketball to live music performances. The arena offers clear line of sight for every seat from each tier, even for various arena configurations such as church ceremonies, boxing, tennis, concerts or indoor gymnastics.

The overall vision of the Ciudad de Victoria masterplan will eventually see inclusion of retail space, a hospital and large scale residential developments.

International architecture firm, Populous has designed the arena with engineers Buro Happold, and construction has been carried out by Hanwha Engineering and Construction Corp.

31st August 2011 - POPULOUS DESIGNS WORLD’S LARGEST ARENA IN MANILA