Building Xscape in Milton Keynes

Featuring one of the largest real snow ski slopes in the UK, Xscape Milton Keynes was the first of its kind to be built in Europe.

Located within the heart of Milton Keynes and flanked by a regional shopping centre, theatre and restaurants, this integrated sports, leisure and retail complex was the first of its kind in Europe.

Featuring one of the largest real snow ski slopes in the UK, Xscape is a unique sports, leisure and retail destination.

Rising to 42 metres, the building also houses a 16-screen multiplex cinema, two indoor climbing walls, a 10-pin bowling alley, a range of concept bars and restaurants and a variety of retail outlets.

The focal point of the 60,000m2 development is a 180m long and up to 60m wide indoor ski-slope covered in 1,500 tonnes of snow. At the time of construction, it was the largest ‘real snow’ slope of its kind in the UK.

The ski-slope adopts traditional cold/freezer technology and during construction of the 13m high ski-box, special self-levelling scissor lifts were used to provide safe access from the slope.

The structural frame of the building contains more than 5,000 tonnes of steel fabricated to exacting tolerances to create the curved roof.

Following the design and build contract to construct the shell of the building, we were awarded the fit-out of the development’s multiplex cinema.

Undertaken on a design and build basis, the project is one of a series of real snow ski centres we have delivered which include Chill Factor in Manchester and the Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

Project summary

    • Client: Capital & Regional
    • Sector: Leisure
    • Region: Midlands
    • Services: McAlpine Design Group, Construction
    • Completion Date: 2000
  • McAlpine Design Group

    Our In-house Design Group where involved from the beginning of the project, producing the architecture designs for Xscape, Milton Keynes.

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