Basketball Arena

The Basketball Arena stood in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, London. It was a temporary venue built for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The arena hosted basketball and handball events during the Games. It also served as a holding area for athletes during the opening and closing ceremonies. Designed to be fully recyclable, the structure was dismantled in January 2013 after the Paralympics. The arena’s design featured a lightweight steel frame wrapped in 20,000 square metres of recyclable PVC cladding. Its translucent walls allowed daylight to pass through during the day. At night, the arena became a striking light installation, transformed by dynamic lighting and colour-changing effects. United Visual Artists collaborated with the architects to create these evening displays. The seating, coloured orange and black, was later reused in the construction of The Hive Stadium. Visitors to the site today will find a flat open space where the arena once stood. The surrounding Olympic Park remains a well-used public area with walking and cycling paths. The park’s landscape includes landscaped gardens and water features. The arena’s former location is marked by its role in the Games rather than any remaining structure. The park continues to host events and activities year-round.