London Olympics Basketball Arena building images, Stratford sports venue design news, Pictures
London Olympic Basketball Arena
2012 Olympics Venue design by Wilkinson Eyre and KSS, architects, England, UK
17 Jun 2011
Basketball Arena becomes fourth Olympic Park venue completed
Design: Sinclair Knight Merz together with Wilkinson Eyre and KSS
The London 2012 Basketball Arena has become the fourth Olympic Park venue completed, more than a year ahead of the Games and is one of the quickest venues to finish construction, the Olympic Delivery Authority announced today.
London Olympics Basketball Arena Design
The Basketball Arena is one of the largest temporary venues ever used for an Olympic and Paralympic Games and will be dismantled after the Games to be reused elsewhere. Initial works on site began in October 2009, with work to erect the 1,000-tonne steel frame starting in March 2010. The venue has now been completed on budget, making it one of the quickest Olympic Park venues to finish construction.
photos from Olympic Delivery Authority
With the ODA’s construction works completed, the venue will now be handed over to the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) to carry out overlay works to get the venue ready for the first Olympic Park test event in August – the venue will host the London International Basketball Invitational to be held from the 16th-21st August which will see six top men’s teams from around the world come to London to compete (Great Britain, Australia, China, Croatia, France and Serbia).
During the 2012 Games, Basketball preliminary matches and Women’s quarter finals will be staged at the Arena, in addition to the Handball men’s quarter finals, all semi finals and medal matches. It will also host Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Rugby during the Paralympic Games.
Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) Chief Executive Dennis Hone said: “Completing construction on the Basketball Arena delivers another striking Games-time venue for the Olympic Park and an innovative structure that can be re-used elsewhere after 2012. As the fourth Olympic Park venue completed and one of the quickest to finish construction, the Basketball Arena is another milestone for the Olympic Park ‘Big Build’ and a tribute to the companies from across the UK involved in its delivery.”
Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and the Olympics, said: “Basketball is one of the most atmospheric competitions of the Games and this has been captured by the artistic design of the Arena. The speed with which this venue has been constructed is a tribute to the ODA and the architect whose design means this facility can be re-used after the Games.”
London 2012 Organising Committee Chair Seb Coe said: “Basketball is one of the most popular Olympic sports and spectators will be able to see the game played out in spectacular surroundings. It is a superb venue which will be the centre of some of the best team action during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
London Olympics Basketball Arena – Venue Information
Venue design and facilities and design:
– 12,000 seats – black and orange seating designed to represent the colours of a basketball
– Venue is 35 metres high (as high as the Tate Modern) and longer than a football pitch at 115 metres long
– 1,000-tonne steel frame wrapped in 20,000sqm of recyclable white PVC membrane, stretched over three different variations of arched panels.
– During the Games the exterior will act as a canvas for an artistic and innovative lighting design.
– Venue facilities including lifts, toilet blocks, corridors and VIP access rooms installed beneath venue seating frame
– After the Games the venue will be dismantled by the contractors which built and own the temporary elements, with the option of potentially using elements of the arena at other UK and overseas events.
Construction
– The Basketball Arena design team was led by Sinclair Knight Merz together with Wilkinson Eyre and KSS
– The venue was constructed by companies from across the UK
17 Nov 2010
London Olympics Basketball Arena Building News
Latest photos from the London Olympics site:
Olympic Basketball Arena Building
Wilkinson Eyre & KSS Design Group
photo from Olympic Delivery Authority
18 Mar 2009
Basketball Arena images are published as planning permission is secured
Design proposals for the basketball arena, the third largest venue on the Park, have gained planning permission. The building will be home to basketball, the Handball finals, Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Rugby and will become a holding area for athletes for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
During the Olympic Games the temporary Arena will have 12,000 seats for the Basketball preliminaries and quarter-finals, as well as the Handball semi-finals and finals. During the Paralympic Games it will have a capacity of 10,000 seats for Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Rugby.
The temporary structure was originally located in the west of the Olympic Park just north of the Olympic Stadium. Last year, its location was changed to the former site of the Fencing Hall, in the north of the Park, after Olympic Fencing, Wheelchair Fencing and Paralympic Judo were moved to the ExCeL venue in Docklands. This change enabled us to create more space for the Parklands so spectators can enjoy more of the Park and maximise the use of the other venues.
Basketball Arena Project Sponsor Paul Snoddy said:
“The Arena will be one of the largest temporary venues built for any Games and will provide a great experience for spectators and athletes.
“After the Games, two thirds of the materials and elements of the Arena can be reused or recycled, potentially allowing other parts of the UK to benefit from London 2012.”
In November 2007 the ODA appointed a multi-disciplinary design team for the Basketball Arena, made up of Sinclair Knight Merz, Wilkinson Eyre and KSS Design Group. The concept designs were agreed in June 2008, and the planning application was submitted in November 2008. Last week the ODA Planning Committee resolved to approve the application subject to referral to the Government Office for London. Building work will finish in time for test events before the Games.
Most spectators will get to the Basketball Arena through three ‘gateway’ stations – Stratford Regional, Stratford International and West Ham. Spectators will also be able to use a number of walking and cycle routes to reach the Arena.
Olympic Basketball Arena Building
London Olympics Basketball Arena images / information from Olympic Delivery Authority
London Olympics Basketball Arena architect : Wilkinson Eyre
Location: Olympics Basketball Arena, Stratford, east London, England, UK
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