SEC Armadillo
Finnieston Street, G3 8YW Glasgow
About
The SEC Armadillo is an auditorium located in Glasgow, Scotland. It is one of three venues on the Scottish Event Campus, near the River Clyde, adjacent to the SEC Centre.HistoryPlans for a new building to increase the capacity of the SECC complex were initiated in 1997. Designed by award-winning architects Foster and Partners, the 2,000 seat venue was completed in 2000, by which time it had earned its affectionate nickname due to the similarity of its shape to that of the animal of the same name. Many comparisons have been made with the Sydney Opera House, although this was not the architects' inspiration for the design, which was in fact an interlocking series of ship's hulls, in reference to the Clyde's shipbuilding heritage.The building has quickly become one of the most recognisable on Clydeside and one of the iconic images of modern Glasgow. Its success has led to the construction of a third venue on the complex, the SSE Hydro.It is connected by passageways to the SEC Centre, and the Crowne Plaza hotel for easy access and exit for high-profile performers.The building held the Scottish auditions of Britain's Got Talent series 2 - 4 and the auditions for series 1 - 4 of The X Factor. It is the place where singer Susan Boyle was discovered.
