The temporary venue, which will be easily distinguishable by its silver wrap and an inflatable roof made from recyclable plastic, will be built by a raft of firms from across the UK, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) announced today (see Notes to Editors for list).

These include an east London construction company previously based on the Olympic Park site and which specialise in building stages and support structures for major events, including the 2010 Ryder Cup.The ground is currently being prepared before work starts on the substructure in early March.

The wedge-shaped Arena, which rises from 12m to 25m, will contain a 37m-long competition pool and a warm-up pool. It will stage the Men’s and Women’s Water Polo competition during the Olympic Games.

After the Games, the venue will be taken down, with elements reused elsewhere in the UK, including incorporating materials available through the rental market to promote reuse and reduce construction waste.

Ian Crockford, ODA Project Sponsor for the Water Polo Arena, said:
‘The start of work on the Water Polo Arena, one of the last venues to be built on the Olympic Park, shows how far we have come since construction started in 2008.The venue will join the Aquatics Centre to form a dramatic and action-packed gateway to the Olympic Park when spectators arrive in 2012.’

The venue will be built at the main eastern entrance to the Olympic Park next to the Aquatics Centre, in what will be one of the most compact areas of the 500-acre site. To make the best use of available space, a number of back of house facilities will be shared between the two buildings.

Spectators will be able to access the internal concourse level with step-free access via a series of accessible ramps.

The contractors and suppliers were appointed to deliver the Water Polo Arena through the existing ODA managed package frameworks set up to efficiently deliver a range of temporary and smaller permanent venues

Notes to Editors:
Images of the Water Polo Arena can be downloaded at: http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr140450723

Water Polo Arena construction and design team:

• ES Group, based in Silvertown, east London, will build the main structure. The company, which was previously based on the Olympic Park site, was relocated to its current address as part of the relocation of businesses to enable construction to start.
• Ipswich-based Jackson Civil Engineering Group Ltd is doing the substructure works.
• Alto Seating Systems Ltd, Redditch, Worcestershire will construct the seating.
• A&T/ Barr & Wray (Glasgow) are installing the temporary pools.
• Byrne Group Plc, Teddington, Surrey is undertaking general building work.
• The design team, led by David Morley Architects, also includes Buro Happold and Max Fordham.
• Balfour Beatty Engineering Services Ltd is doing the mechanical and electrical work.

Water Polo Arena fact-file:

• The sloping roof is made from air-inflated recyclable phthalate-free PVC cushions which provide extra insulation and reduce condensation.
• The venue is wrapped in a distinctive silver membrane with translucent shard shaped panels and its asymmetric shape gives the best sightlines for viewing Water Polo.
• The competition pool measures 37mx23mx2m deep.
• The warm up pool is 33mx21mx2m deep.
• Provides step-free access without the need for lifts.
• Reduces water use by 40 per cent through low flow taps and showers and waterless urinals.
• Located close to Stratford Regional and Stratford International stations, the Water Polo Arena will be easily accessible by public transport.
• After the Games the riverside site to the north of the Aquatics Centre will be developed by the Olympic Park Legacy Company.

Water Polo – a history:

• Men's Water Polo made its debut at the 1900 Paris Games. Women’s Water Polo was introduced in Sydney 2000.

Water Polo – the rules:

• Players use a ball weighing between 400g and 450g and aim to score goals in a three-metre wide, 90-centimetre high net that sits on top of the water.  Each team only has 30 seconds to score before the ball is passed to the opposition.
• You are not allowed to touch the bottom or the side of the pool during a match, which lasts for four periods of seven minutes each. Top water polo players swim five kilometres (three miles) in each match.

    – Ends –

For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700.

The construction of the venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Games is funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency.

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