First Direct Arena

The stunning new £60 million first direct Arena in the northern quarter of Leeds operated by SMG Europe, features Sotech’s back-lit perforated panels which light up the Leeds skyline with a kaleidoscope of ever-changing colours, producing a dazzling honeycombed external façade on what is believed to be the first ‘fan shaped’ arena in the UK.

Sotech achieved an economical and integrated solution for over 400 square metres of aluminium feature producing the 9mm perforations with the use of a sophisticated cluster tool enabling a number of holes to be punched simultaneously across a wide and complex variation of shapes and sizes.

The perforated feature panels subtly echo the cellular nature of the aluminium shingles during the day, but at night the seemingly randomly patterned perforations in the Sotech aluminium feature panels give way to an illuminated tracery, providing an almost psychedelic lighting experience featuring a palette of mesmerising, vivid colours which light up the Leeds skyline.

Punched aluminium as well as offering significant aesthetic options also provides a level of precision which is ideally suited to enhancing effects such as the back lighting on the new arena of for creating a subtle translucent effect for veiling and screening.