Brief: Yorke's task was to construct a prestigious international indoor sports arena with a 600-capacity spectator seating gallery. The vast Equine Centre, Hartpury College, Gloucestershire was to be a building in excess off 4000 sq.m with the main arena measures 70m by 55m and the warm up arena is 30m square. In addition to the arena, the facility also provides judging facilities, offices, 24 fully equipped classrooms, meeting rooms, a bar and hospitality area.

Delivery: The project involved a huge earth moving operation under the control of Yorke Construction's in-house engineering team followed by an impressive groundwork operation to construct reinforced pad foundations and retaining walls to receive the steel framed super structure. The arena features a steel portal steel frame spanning 80m with a suspended pre-cast concrete floor for the upper levels and gallery. Composite metal cladding panels have been applied to the exterior fascade, and the internal walls are constructed from a high specification structural metal with acoustic capabilities to provide sound and fire proof compartment walls.

The arena is discretely sited in keeping with the surrounding sports fields and college environment.

It is expected that the international sports arena will become one of the most important international venues for the equine industry, and also the upcoming Olympics in 2012.