Philippine Arena Featured In Discovery Channel's 'Man-Made Marvels'

Philippine Arena, which is set to become the largest domed arena in the world upon its completion, was featured on Discovery Channel on Wednesday, December 25.

Philippine Arena featured in Discovery Channel documentary

The cable channel ran a full-length documentary, titled "Man-Man Marvels: Philippine Arena Quake Proof," detailing how the megastructure was made to withstand earthquakes, as well as strong typhoon winds.

Started in 2011, the 50,000-seater indoor performance hall is currently being built at a 99,200-square-meter area in Bocaue, Bulacan. It is set to open in 2014 in time for the 100th anniversary celebration of the religious group Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), who financed its construction.

Kansas City-based global mega-architecture firm Populous designed the arena, while PWP Landscape Architecture, the firm who landscaped the famous National September 11 Memorial & Museum, designed the landscape for the arena.

Meanwhile, Korean builder Hanwha Engineering and Construction Corp. is responsible for the arena's construction.

Apart from major church gatherings, Philippine Arena will also operate as a multi-purpose sports and concert venue, capable of holding a range of events from boxing and basketball to live music performances. The overall vision of the masterplan will eventually see inclusion of shopping centers, a hospital and large scale residential developments. 

Philippine Arena reportedly costs $175 million (about P7.5 billion). Upon its completion, it will be the biggest theater on the planet.