London 2012 Handball Arena third venue on Olympic Park to be completed on time and on budget
The London 2012 Handball Arena became the third venue on the Olympic Park to be structurally completed, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) announced today.
The construction milestone was marked by a visit to the venue by Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg as they announced new measures to support youth employment, inspecting work carried out by apprentices on the Olympic Park.
Construction started on the 6,500-capacity arena in July 2009. The venue includes unique copper cladding, natural lighting shafts and multicoloured seating, of which the lower tier is retractable.
Prime Minister David Cameron said: 'That this great venue has been completed on time and within budget is testament to the hard work, expertise and skills of the Olympic Park workforce. We are on track to stage a fantastic Olympic and Paralympic Games in London next summer.'
ODA Chairman John Armitt said: 'The Handball Arena milestone is another example of just how far we have come since construction started on the Olympic Park three years ago. The arena is compact, sustainably built and will provide an excellent sports and community venue for London long after the Games are over.'
London 2012 Organising Committee Chair Seb Coe, said: 'With its vibrant, multi-coloured interior and field of play surrounded by spectator seating close to the action, the Handball Arena will be an exciting venue for Handball and Modern Pentathlon during the Olympic Games and the Goalball competition during the Paralympic Games. It is wonderful to have another permanent sport facility located in the Park which will provide an opportunity for all of these sports to continue to develop in legacy. With the venue completed well in advance of Games-time, we can stage Handball and Goalball Test Events later this year under similar conditions to Games-time to ensure we get our planning just right.'
Andrew Altman, Chief Executive of the Olympic Park Legacy Company, which will manage the venue after the Games, said: 'The Legacy Company will develop the Handball Arena as a multi-use centre for community use after the Games, offering a wide range of sporting and cultural uses for people of all ages and abilities. With its sustainable and compact design, it will be a much-loved and vital venue within the future Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.'
Events to be staged at the venue include the men’s and women’s preliminary stages and the women’s quarter-finals for the Handball competition, the Fencing discipline of the Modern Pentathlon, and Goalball during the Paralympic Games.
The venue was designed and built with sustainability as a priority; the copper cladding has a high recycled content, while the field of play can be naturally lit through 88 rooftop sun-pipes, achieving annual energy savings of up to 40 per cent and greater illumination than similar sized conventional lights. During television broadcasting or poor weather, the system can be switched off to allow for electrical lighting to be used.
Water usage at the venue is also saved by 40 per cent through a rain harvesting system that feeds into toilets and other non-potable systems.
After the Games, capacity at the arena will be increased to accommodate up to 7,500 spectators as it becomes a multi-use venue for community use, athletic training and events. The retractable tier of lower seating will enable a variety of activities to take place inside, ranging from international competition to community sports such as basketball, handball, badminton, boxing, martial arts, netball, table tennis and volleyball. A health and fitness club with changing facilities and a cafe for use by the local community are also planned.
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