Wood Award for the ABBA Arena project

Wood is used not only for its ability to bind CO₂, but also for its aesthetic qualities. The range of buildings constructed with wood is steadily growing, a fact that is also reflected in the projects submitted to this year’s British Wood Awards. These projects are a testament to this important branch of the construction industry and the increasing importance of wood as a building material.

More than 200 entries were submitted for this year’s awards, showcasing the best that has been built in the United Kingdom. For over 30 years, the Wood Awards have been promoting inspiring wood design. This year, the quality of the projects submitted was particularly high and exceptional in terms of their design, craftsmanship and innovation.

One of the 17 awarded projects is the ABBA Arena in London, which won the Wood Award in the category “Commercial & Leisure”. ZÜBLIN Timber would like to congratulate the project team including architects STUFISH LIMITED, structural engineering firm Atelier One and our client Stage One Creative Services Ltd.

ZÜBLIN Timber was in charge of the production and delivery of more than 200 m³ of LENO^® cross laminated timber and glulam components for the ABBA Arena’s “front of house” facilities, which consist of a hybrid timber and steel structure.

Twenty-four hexagonal canopies with a diameter of 10 metres each form the geometric roof structure where the LED lighting is integrated into the glulam beams. The area is surrounded by seven cross laminated timber buildings clad with a complex larch rainscreen.

Wood was used in all areas of the building and is the main building material in the ABBA Arena project.

The ABBA Arena in East London, which hosts the Abba Voyage virtual concert series, is the world’s largest demountable concert venue with a capacity of 3,000.

An exceptional project with exceptional challenges, addressed through the use of wood as a sustainable and versatile building material.