Powering all round entertainment at the O2

The O2 Arena, housed in the former Millennium Dome (now ‘the O2') is one of the largest multi-purpose indoor arenas in Europe. It has a capacity of up to 23,000 and features 360° seating offering unobstructed views of the arena floor.

The development, serving as a venue for music, sport and entertainment is designed to adapt to meet various demands.

FS Cables supplied a number of specialist cables to the £600m project. "The thing that really strikes you is the sheer size of the project", said Lee Girdler from the contractor sales team. "From talking to the guys on site, the real challenge was the inability to use cranes within the Dome itself. They had to construct the roof, erect it, and then build the arena around it". 

He added, "The ‘bowl effect' achieved by the 360° seating really captures the sound and light. It's a real showcase development and it's important we supply cable that matches the level of performance required."

The LF-329 screened flexible low-smoke halogen-free (LSHF) power cable was chosen to provide power to parts of the arena. Its flexibility enables easy installation and the dual foil & braid screen protects from electro-magnetic radiation and potential corruption of other cables or equipment at both high and low frequency.

To meet the need for high performance lighting without compromising safety, a LSHF Mode Lighting cable was used. High level catwalks housed the lighting and lighting controls which illuminate the arena.

A range of LSHF alternatives to Belden style cables were used for data transmissions to equipment including scoreboards and control panels. Some fibre cables for carrying high speed data for telecoms were also supplied.

Photograph courtesy of Colin Philip