Hosting some of the world's most talented players, the London Summer Olympics 2012 Basketball Arena is a truly remarkable structure. The London Olympics were planned out to be the greenest Olympics yet, and it is coming through on its promise. Although the Basketball Arena is not technically considered "green," since it is made out of steel, it is completely recyclable. It was made specifically for the 2012 Summer Olympics, and will be torn down and recycled afterwards.
Location: Olympic Park, Stratford, London
Construction time: Planning began in October of 2009, and by June 2011 the stadium was built. As if the nature of the structure wasn't spectacular enough, the construction time will go down in the record books. This, along with the fact that the huge frame was put up in under three months, makes it one of the fastest built Olympic venues ever.
Seating Capacity: This massive structure will seat 12,000 for the basketball games, and 10,000 for the Paralympic games.
Stadium features: The solid white stadium that is now the largest temporary structure ever built for an Olympic series. Built for removal, it is mobile and relatively lightweight considering its massive size. It's made from 1,000 tons of steel, and the white canvas covering the outside is made out of recyclable PVC material that will also aid in the lights display for the Olympic ceremonies.
Designers: Sinclair Knight Merz, Wilkinson Eyre, and KSS.
Games to be held in arena: The massive recyclable Basketball Arena's chairs are painted orange and black for the colors of a basketball, but there will be other sporting events taking place in the arena. Games that will be held in the arena will be basketball, wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, and handball. With so many events taking place in the stadium, the structure will be one of the most used with competitions almost daily. It will also function as a holding cell for the athletes during the Opening and Closing Ceremony for the Olympics.
Cost to build: Approximately $62.5 million
Random Fact: The door heights were built to accommodate tall athletes, so all doors are at least 7.8 feet high. The stadium is also large enough to house a jumbo jet.
Other facts: The Basketball Arena is not only resourceful, but saved three times the amount it would have taken to build a permanent venue.
Time allowed to set-up between event changes: There will only be 22 hours allowed to switch the arena from a basketball court to a handball set-up. For the Paralympics only 12 hours will be allowed between rugby and basketball.
Janoa Taylor is a freelance writer who is a sports and Olympic enthusiast. She has followed sporting events closely for over 20 years.
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