The start of construction on the Handball Arena two months early marked the moment the ‘big build’ got underway on all new permanent venues for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
During the Games the distinctive copper-clad Handball Arena will host qualifying games for the Handball competition as well as Modern Pentathlon Fencing and Goalball during the Paralympic Games.
After the Games, the sustainable and distinctive Arena will become a multi-sports venue with retractable seating for around 6,000 spectators and flexible facilities catering for training and competition at all levels. It can cater for a wide-range of indoor sports including Basketball, Wheelchair Basketball, Boxing, Handball, Badminton, Judo, Netball, Futsal and Volleyball, boosting the legacy sporting facilities provided across the Olympic Park.
Construction is now underway on the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Olympic Village, IBC/MPC, Velodrome as well as roads, bridges and infrastructure right across the Olympic Park. The sailing facilities at Weymouth and Portland were completed last year and work recently started on the White Water Canoe Centre in Broxbourne.
Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt said: 'The "big build" is on track and the permanent venues that will host a fantastic festival in 2012 and provide a sporting legacy for elite athletes and communities are taking shape. The vibrant Handball Arena will provide a great experience for competitors and spectators during the Games and offer a new sustainable and flexible facility for local people to enjoy a wide range of sports in legacy'
Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee Sebastian Coe said: 'This is another example of the Games acting as a catalyst for change. This facility will be a high-quality venue at Games time but also provides a legacy for sport in London and the UK. The fact that Handball will have its own arena at Games-time will be a great boost to the sport in this country, and it will be a much used multi-purpose arena after the Games. It is fantastic to see construction underway at the Arena and on all the venues in the Olympic Park.'
The London Development Agency (LDA) has been leading on the legacy planning for the Handball Arena. This work, which also includes ongoing discussions with National Governing Bodies for Sport and other sporting bodies, will be taken forward by the new Olympic Park Legacy Company which is due to take over legacy planning later this year.
Chief Executive of the London Development Agency Peter Rogers said: 'The Arena will be a major community resource in legacy. With the equivalent space of 12 badminton courts and retractable seating, the venue has been designed for all levels of sports participation and has the potential to accommodate cultural, entertainment and business events.
'We are delighted to have reached this milestone and look forward to a smooth transition of the project over to the Olympic Park Legacy Company.'
Jules Pipe, elected Mayor of Hackney, said: 'The new multi-sports venue in Hackney is a great opportunity to offer local residents access to world-class facilities to take part in a wide range of sports, as part of the legacy of the 2012 Games. The Council will continue its work to offer all our residents further opportunities to enjoy healthy lifestyles through sport and physical activity.'
Handball Arena factfile
- Over the coming months around 200 piles will be driven 25 metres into the ground to form the foundations for the venue on track to start coming out of the ground in the Autumn and be completed by summer 2011 ready for test events.
- The venue features over 3,000 sq m of external copper cladding, mostly recycled, to give it a distinctive appearance that will develop a rich natural colour as it ages.
- Over 700 sq m of glazing which encircles the building at concourse level will enable visitors to the Olympic Park to view sport taking place inside, and illuminating the venue when lit at night.
- The venue also has retractable seating to create a flexible legacy space and 100 light pipes in the ceiling to allow natural light into the venue.
- Rainwater harvesting from the roof for toilet flushing, will help to reduce water use by 40 per cent
- In legacy mode the venue will include a health and fitness club with changing facilities and a café for use by the local community
- In legacy mode, the venue offers a 2,743 sq m field of play hosting sports including: 5-a-side football; Netball; Boxing; Basketball; Volleyball; Badminton; Table Tennis; Handball; and Futsal
- The venue could also host in legacy: Hockey; Martial arts; Kabaddi; Dodgeball; Wheelchair Basketball; Fencing; Sitting Volleyball; Goalball; Wheelchair Rugby, Wrestling, Weightlifting, Taekwondo, Table Tennis, Judo and Fencing.
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Notes to Editors:
1. Images of the Handball Arena designs and construction can be downloaded at:
http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr126344263 2. Planning permission for the Handball Arena was granted earlier this year and Buckingham Group Contracting was appointed to deliver the venue following a highly competitive appointment. Building on their successful delivery together of the MK Dons stadium in Milton Keynes Buckingham Group Contracting will be working with Populous on the detailed design and construction of the Handball Arena. The designers that created the sustainable and flexible design for the venue, Make Architects, will oversee the detailed design process on behalf of the Olympic Delivery Authority.
3. Projects deliver by Buckingham Group Contracting include: Stadium:MK, Milton Keynes; The Community Stadium, Brighton (under construction); National Hockey Stadium, Milton Keynes; Portsmouth FC East Stand, Redevelopment; Football Training Academy, Reading; Donnington Park Track and infrastructure works, Derbyshire.
4. In February, the LDA and London 2012 partners released draft outline legacy plans for the park - called the Legacy Masterplan Framework (LMF). These are currently being assessed by the new Olympic Park Legacy Company following a consultation earlier this year. The Company will take over from and build on the solid foundation of the legacy work currently being taken forward by the LDA which has been developing plans since London's successful bid to host the Games. For more information about the consultation visit
www.legacynow.co.uk For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)20 3 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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