Prime Arena Holdings has unveiled the first CGI images and flythrough videos of its proposed major new sports and entertainment venue in Cherrywood, providing the clearest indication yet of the scale and ambition behind the development.
The concept design has been created by global sports architecture practice Populous, with the visuals demonstrating how the arena could transform to host ice hockey, tennis, concerts, and other major sporting and entertainment events.
Subject to planning approval, Prime Arena would feature two Olympic-sized ice rinks alongside a main arena with a capacity of 8,000, expandable to 10,500 for concerts and larger events.
The developers are projecting more than 1.5 million visits annually, creating what they believe could become a significant new driver of sporting, entertainment and tourism activity in Dublin.
The release of the designs comes ahead of the submission of a planning application, which Prime Arena Holdings says is now expected in the coming weeks.
The involvement of Populous gives the project an international architectural pedigree.
The company has worked on more than 3,000 sporting and entertainment venues around the world, with its portfolio including Aviva Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Yankee Stadium, Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle and Sphere in Las Vegas.
Its design for Cherrywood places particular emphasis on bringing spectators close to the action when the building is configured for ice hockey while also creating the flexibility required for a broader events programme.
“The design for Prime Arena will bring the ice hockey spectators close to the action and create an incredible atmosphere and fan experience,” said Marian Moravek, Design Lead at Populous.
“The warm, layered façade and public plaza will give the arena a distinct identity as a focus for Cherrywood.”
The multipurpose element will ultimately be central to the project’s commercial case. Ireland currently has no permanent Olympic-standard ice facility, but the ambition extends considerably beyond creating a home for winter sport.
Prime Arena has previously outlined plans for the venue to become home to a professional Dublin ice hockey franchise, potentially competing alongside the Belfast Giants within the UK-based Elite Ice Hockey League, while concerts, tennis and other indoor sports would provide additional programming throughout the year.
Previous reporting has put the overall investment in the project at approximately €250 million, with the site located on eight acres at Cherrywood close to Junction 16 of the M50.
Season Zero
The CGI launch coincides with the arrival of a new Prime Arena website and the next stage of its Season Zero campaign.
Supporters can register their interest ahead of planning and subsequent development milestones, giving the company the opportunity to begin building an audience and potential customer base well before the first event.
“Seeing these images for the first time brings this project to life in a way that words never could,” said Dermot Rigley, Founder and CEO of Prime Arena Holdings.
“This is a world-class design for a world-class venue, and it gives people across Ireland a real sense of what we are building in Cherrywood.”
The public reveal represents another step forward for a project that has garnered backing from sporting, business, and tourism organisations and attracted investment interest from figures in North American ice hockey.
If Prime Arena can now successfully move through the planning process, Cherrywood could provide Ireland with something it has long lacked: a mid-sized indoor venue capable of switching between elite sport, entertainment and community use, rather than being dependent on any single type of event.
The Sport for Business Perspective
The images are important because they move Prime Arena another stage from proposition towards something that potential spectators, sponsors, promoters and sporting bodies can visualise.
The commercial strength of the project will ultimately depend on that versatility. An ice rink alone would face a significant challenge in generating sufficient year-round activity. An 8,000- to 10,500-capacity arena capable of hosting hockey one night, tennis another, and concerts at the weekend presents a very different proposition.
There is also a gap in Ireland’s venue infrastructure at this scale.
The opportunity for Prime Arena is therefore greater than just establishing winter sports in Ireland. It is about creating another piece of sporting and entertainment infrastructure capable of attracting events which Ireland currently struggles to accommodate.
Planning remains the crucial next step, but the unveiling of the Populous designs makes the ambition significantly more tangible.
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Image Credit: Populous and Prime Arena Holdings
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