Hydro hailed as feat of engineering

Oct 30 2012

The final roof bolt in a new live entertainment venue has been put in place in a traditional topping-out ceremony.

The honour of tightening the last bolt at The Hydro, on the banks of the Clyde in Glasgow, fell to 20-year-old John McLaughlan, an apprentice civil engineer.

Project bosses hailed the move as a major step forward in the construction of what is hoped to be one of the world's busiest venues.

Gordon Anderson, executive general manager of construction company Lend Lease, said completing the roof structure was a complex engineering feat.

"Over a million man-hours have been safely completed in the construction process to date and this is a testimony to the dedication and commitment of the whole supply chain and workforce. We can take great pride in their achievement," he said.

The arena will officially open for business on September 2 next year. It is a purpose-built, 12,000-capacity entertainment venue which will host around 140 events a year.

Once open, it is expected to contribute an annual £131 million to the Scottish economy.

The Hydro, designed by Foster & Partners and sponsored by Scottish Hydro, will be an extra venue for the SECC.

SECC chairman Sir Ian Grant said: "The topping-out ceremony today signifies just how close we are to the completion of a world-class entertainment arena for Scotland, and it has been inspiring to watch the progress that has been made by the project team to date.

"We are witnessing The Hydro materialising into an amazing structure and congratulate Lend Lease and everyone involved on reaching this pivotal stage in its construction."