Co-op Live Arena

Project Details

System: INTRAform

Specification: INTRAform Silver with Linear Anthracite 443 inserts

Client: Co-op Live

Installer: Master Matting Installations Ltd

Location: Manchester

Specifier: Populous, London

High-performance Entrance Matting for Europe's largest indoor performance venue

Co-op Live in Manchester is the largest indoor arena in Europe, boasting a maximum capacity of 23,500. It was designed by Populous and built by BAM UK to be the most sustainable arena in Europe. So, the Entrance Matting must be extremely hard-wearing and sustainable. Our environmental practices and products fit the bill - we manufacture INTRAform in the UK with 100% recycled aluminium (Environmental Product Declaration available). Combined with INTRAlux Linear inserts, the Co-op Live Entrance Mats are tough enough to withstand heavy and intense traffic.

Reviewed and improved

The original project specification was from a European manufacturer but to avoid the carbon impact from importing, Populous wanted a UK alternative. During our consultation, we expressed concerns about the durability of the original specification. As an entertainment venue with such a large capacity, its critical the Entrance Matting is tough enough to handle thousands of visitors coming and going in short periods of time. And its also important to consider the ease of installation, maintenance and repair to keep things looking and working well for as long as possible.

Following our advice, Populous ultimately specified the extremely durable INTRAform Entrance Matting system in all ten entrances with INTRAlux Linear inserts. The combination is locally sourced, lower carbon, more durable, easier to maintain and more cost-effective.

Built to ensure the show goes on, and on

Wear and tear is inevitable with such intense use in public buildings, but INTRAform is a hard-wearing closed construction system made from heavy duty recycled aluminium and comes with our 10-year warranty. Supplied and installed as interlocking planks, it allows Co-op Live maintenance teams to replace sections easily with minimal disruption and waste. We recommend INTRAform and INTRAlux Linear for this reason at transport hubs, including Reading Green Park Station and public buildings, including Cardiff University and BBC Maida Vale Studios.

Ensuring a warm, dry welcome for over 20,000 visitors

Manchester is known as the city of rain, and with ten public entrances around the venue, water ingress is a major consideration when opening the doors to its capacity of over 20,000 people. INTRAlux Linear inserts are cost-effective with an extremely tough polypropylene looped pile, making them ideal for high traffic areas. The absorbent and scraping pile in over 600m² of Entrance Matting, reduces the amount of water and dirt getting further into the building. The dark Anthracite colour has a subtle flecked appearance to help hide dirt and wet patches between cleans, so it looks impressive for longer.

Long-term service benefits

By choosing INTRAsystems Entrance Matting, Populous and Co-op Live benefit from a more sustainable product with added practicality. INTRAform and INTRAlux Linear reduces the overall carbon impact, provides the critical durability and helps the on-site team keep it looking great for years to come. In a few years when sections might need replacing, our UK stock and speedy manufacturing processes means we can quickly send out replacements. These can then be installed easily and with minimal disruption to visitors. In the meantime, feedback from the Co-op Live's facilities team confirms the system is performing exactly as required.