The O 2
| The O 2 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| The O 2 off Canary Wharf (2005) | |
| Earlier names | |
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Millennium Dome |
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| Data | |
| place | Peninsula Square Greenwich Peninsula , London SE10 0DX, United Kingdom
|
| Coordinates | 51 ° 30 '10 " N , 0 ° 0' 11" E |
| operator | Anschutz Entertainment Group |
| opening | January 1, 2000 |
| architect | Richard Rogers |
| capacity | 20,000 seats ( basketball and concerts ) |
| Capacity (internat.) | 16,500 seats |
Opened on January 1, 2000, The O 2 is an entertainment complex operated by the Anschutz Entertainment Group in the London borough of Greenwich , United Kingdom . It is located at Blackwall Point , the northernmost point of the Greenwich Peninsula . The complex includes the O 2 arena . Called the Millennium Dome until 2005, it is 365 meters in diameter and up to 52 meters high, making it the largest single structure in Great Britain and the largest domed structure in the world. Its dimensions symbolize the number of days and weeks in a year. Its twelve masts, each 100 meters high, indicate the months of the year and the dial of a clock. The prime meridian of Greenwich runs in the immediate vicinity of the hall. The plastic roof cladding is supposed to last for several decades, but it is perforated at one point to provide space for a covered exhaust air opening of the Blackwall tunnel . This huge steel cable construction was designed by the architect Richard Rogers , who also designed the Center Georges Pompidou in Paris , and the structural engineer was Ian Liddell and project engineer at Buro Happold Paul Westbury . In 2007 the mobile communications company O 2 became the name sponsor . In February 2017, the contract was extended until 2027. The company is paying just under EUR 148 million for this.
History until 2000
Within the hall built to celebrate the new millennium, there were various areas to visit in 2000:
- the body zone , in which one with a huge time machine travels
- the learning zone , where you can discover the future of education and work
- the play zone to present the game as part of personal, social and cultural identity
- the Faith and Spirit Zone , which commemorate the creation of the largest world religions was designed
- the dream zone , in which one should get to know the creative and imaginative side of life
- the Living Zone , which aims to promote awareness of environmental protection
The exhibition was closed at the end of 2000. Today the dome is considered a bad investment. One of the biggest critics is the British journalist Jeremy Clarkson , who regularly pokes fun at the Millienium Dome in his glosses. In 1999, the dome was in the opening sequence of the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough to See.
present
By 2007 the dome had been converted into a large sports arena with a capacity of 16,500 seats. He played a central role in the 2012 Olympics and the 2012 Summer Paralympics . During this time the dome was officially called North Greenwich Arena for reasons of sponsorship . This is where the gymnastics and trampoline competitions as well as the basketball finals took place at the Olympic Games , for which the audience capacity was increased to 20,000 seats. At the Paralympics, part of the preliminary round and the finals in wheelchair basketball were held here.
On September 29, 2007, the North American ice hockey league NHL opened its 2007/08 season in the Millennium Dome with the game Anaheim Ducks against Los Angeles Kings . The two teams met again the following day. It was the NHL's first season opener on European soil.
On October 10, 2007, a preparation game of the North American basketball league NBA took place as part of the NBA Europe Live Tour 2007 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Boston Celtics .
From July 2009 onwards, 50 Michael Jackson concerts were to take place here. However, he died on June 25, 2009, 18 days before the start of the concert series.
From October 12th to 18th, 2009, the 41st Gymnastics World Championships were held in the arena.
The ATP World Tour Finals , the “Masters” tournament of the eight best male tennis players, have been taking place here since 2009 .
In addition, the semi-finals and the final of the largest indoor sports event in Great Britain, the PDC Darts Premier League, take place here .
Internally
The interior of the complex is divided into two areas: the outer ring, half of which is occupied by restaurants and shops, and the inner ring, the concert hall. The radius of the inner main part is only half the radius of the entire complex.
The main part, the O 2 Arena , is mainly used as a concert hall today, which can accommodate up to 20,000 visitors. There were concerts by Barbra Streisand , Madonna , Justin Timberlake , Keane , Kylie Minogue , Bon Jovi and the Spice Girls, among others . In 2007 Led Zeppelin gave an honor concert for their deceased record producer Ahmet Ertegün . In 2007 Prince held 21 concerts there, setting the previous record of sold-out concerts at O 2 . This was outbid by Michael Jackson, who should have given fifty concerts there from July 13, 2009, which were sold out in a few hours in regular sales. From June 2009 Britney Spears gave eight concerts, which took place as part of her "The Circus Starring Britney Spears" Tour 2009. All concerts were completely sold out. On February 20, 2010 Depeche Mode gave a concert at O 2 as part of the “Tour of the Universe” 2009/2010. On December 18 and 19, 2010, the "Cinema release of Simply Red 's last ever concert" took place, the band's farewell concert. In 2011 Rihanna gave nine concerts as part of the Loud Tour .
There is also a smaller event location within the complex called indigO 2 , the O 2 Bubble exhibition space , a VUE chain cinema center and a passage with restaurants and shops. In 2018, an outlet center was opened after an interior expansion.
Web links
- theo2.co.uk: Operator's website (English)
- setlist.fm: Concert list of the Millennium Dome and the O 2 Arena (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ stadionwelt.de: London Arena keeps its name Article dated February 24, 2017
- ↑ fp / ddp / AP: Record: All 50 Michael Jackson concerts are sold out. In: welt.de . March 13, 2009, accessed October 22, 2018 .