Ferco hits a six at Headingley

Weathering the Elements: Ferco Provides Durable ARC One Seats for Headingley's Carnegie Pavilion

Established in 1890, and the home of Yorkshire County Cricket, Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds has a total capacity of 18,350.

Since the initial first-class match was held there in 1899, against Kent, Headingley spectators have witnessed some great feats, including two Test triple-centuries by Don Bradman in 1930 and 1934. During the first innings, Bradman scored 309 of his eventual 334 in a single day, the only instance of 300 in a day in a Test. The Surrey left-hander John Edrich also made a Test triple hundred here, against New Zealand in 1965. And, fittingly, Geoff Boycott brought up his hundredth hundred here against Australia in 1977.

Test cricket had first come to Headingley nearly 100 years earlier, in 1889, one year after the ground was established.

The Carnegie Pavilion was a joint venture between Leeds Metropolitan University and Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Designed by Will Alsop of Alsop Architects, the scheme was pioneering in providing world-class media and players' facilities, hospitality and teaching facilities all under one roof. Built to a tight brief, on a tight site and on a tight budget, the £21-million, four-storey pavilion can house 1,000 spectators and was completed in 2010.

Co-occupation of the building (over 70 per cent of the rooms have been designed for dual use) dramatically reduces its running costs, as well as its carbon footprint, when compared with two separate buildings.

Installed in both outdoor tiers of the Carnegie Pavilion, Ferco provided the ARC One stadium seat with thick upholstered cushions on the seat pan and a contoured backrest giving special lumbar support. It incorporates a silent gravity tip-up mechanism, and armrests were added for additional comfort.

Designed specifically for outdoor use, the ARC One is completely free of components which might suffer from exposure to light or moisture. All plastic and vinyl contain UV inhibitors and are fire-retardant.