by WilkinsonEyre

Olympic Basketball Arena, London 2012

The London 2012 Olympic Games were widely billed as the most sustainable ever, and WilkinsonEyre’s design of the Basketball Arena was a crucial part of the architectural mix. The challenge was to create a temporary building that would not only be simple to erect and sustainable in terms of its legacy once the Games were over, but also provided a world-class sporting venue for some of the most popular Olympic events.

In November 2007, the SKM/WilkinsonEyre/KSS design team was appointed to create the arena and devised a solution in which two-thirds of the materials and elements within the building could be reused or recycled after the Games. During the Olympic Games the arena seated 12,000 for the basketball and handball competitions, and reduced to a capacity of 10,000 for wheelchair basketball and rugby during the Paralympic Games.

DetailsLocation: London, UK Client: Olympic Delivery Authority Architect: WilkinsonEyre Structural/Environmental Engineer: SKM Anthony Hunts Sports Architect: KSSCapacity: 12,000 Date: Completed May 2011

AwardsODA Health, Safety and Environmental Management Awards - Project Performance Award 2010 Highly Commended, Health and Safety Design Team Award 2010Westminster Society Biennial Award for a Contribution to Urban Vitality 2013