The London 2012 Handball Arena, that will become a new multi-sports facility in legacy, is on track for construction to start this summer following the appointment of a building contractor.
Through a highly competitive public procurement process Buckingham Group Contracting has been appointed to build the Handball Arena. The contractor has a wealth of experience delivering sports venues including football stadia, training facilities and racing circuits.
Planning permission for the Handball Arena was granted last month and the site has been cleared ready for construction to start this summer. Building on their successful delivery together of the MK Dons stadium in Milton Keynes Buckingham Group Contracting will be working with HOK Sport 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.
Olympic Delivery Authority Chief Executive David Higgins said:
“This appointment takes us a step closer towards a simple, sustainable and flexible Handball Arena that works for Games and legacy. Construction is on track to start this summer on the Arena which will provide a great experience for competitors and spectators during the Games and offer a new facility for local people to enjoy a range of sports in legacy.”
Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee, 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.”
The Handball Arena will be in the west of the Olympic Park, to the south of the Hockey Centre, within four minutes of the Olympic Village. It will have up to 7,000 seats during the Games, hosting the Handball preliminaries and quarter finals as well as the Modern Pentathlon discipline of Fencing. It will also be the Goalball venue during the Paralympic Games.
In legacy mode after the Games, the Arena will become a multi-sports venue with retractable seating for 6,000 spectators and flexible facilities to hold a range of training and competition events of all levels. It will cater for a wide-range of indoor sports including Basketball, Wheelchair Basketball, Boxing, Handball, Badminton, Netball and Volleyball, boosting the sporting facilities provided across the Olympic Park.
The Handball Arena, designed by Make Architects with PTW and Arup, features external copper cladding to give it a distinctive appearance that will develop a rich natural colour as it ages. The concourse level features glazing which encircles the building, enabling visitors to the Olympic Park to view sport taking place inside, and illuminating the venue when lit at night. The venue also has a vibrant and multi-coloured interior, with retractable seating to create a flexible space and with 100 light pipes in the ceiling to allow natural light into the venue.
Jules Pipe, elected Mayor of Hackney, said:
“The new multi-sports venue is a major opportunity to develop a world class centre for Hackney which is accessible and suitable for a range of community sports as part of the legacy of the 2012 Games. The Council will continue working to ensure that it offers all our residents the chance to take part in sport and try out new activities."
Design features in the Handball Arena plans include:
· Over 3,000 sq m of external copper cladding, mostly recycled, that changes colour and character as it ages
· Over 700 sq m of glazing which encircles the building at concourse level opening up the venue to the Olympic Park and enabling visitors to watch sporting action
· striking multicoloured seating that retracts to enable flexible use of the field of play
· 100 light pipes in the ceiling that draw sunlight into the venue, reducing the demand for electric lights
· rainwater harvesting from the roof for toilet flushing, helping to reduce water use by 40 per cent
· Range of materials selected for long-term durability and performance
· 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; 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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