Copper Box Handball Arena in Pictures

Handball Arena

The £44m Handball Arena, fondly nicknamed 'The Copper Box', will play host to the handball and goalball competitions during the Olympic and Paralympic Games and is one of the Olympic Park's most eco-friendly venues. Strangely, the final rounds of the Handball event won't actually take place at the Copper Box - after the preliminary stages, the event moves to the Basketball Arena.

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The venue

A glazed 'concourse' level encircles the building and will allow passers-by to view the sporting events taking place inside as well as allow additional light onto the interior, which will be fitted with multi-coloured retractable seating giving the place a vibrant feel, while in the centre of the building, a state-of-the-art sprung wood floor covers the competition area.

Under construction

After the games, the Handball Arena will be transformed into a flexible, multi-use sports centre for community use catering for a range of sports including basketball, handball, badminton, boxing, martial arts, netball, table tennis, wheelchair rugby and volleyball. There will also be a health and fitness club with changing facilities and a cafe.

From an aerial perspective

Handball Arena

The 7,000-capacity Handball Arena is one of the Olympic Park's greenest initiatives. The four outer walls of the square building are covered in largely recycled copper cladding which will change colour as it ages; 88 natural light pipes in the room will illuminate the interior, lessening the need for artificial light; rainwater pipes will also recycle water.

Sporting events

Handball Arena

Huge all over the world, but no so much in the UK, Handball is a fast and thrilling team sport which promises to draw big crowds throughout the competition at London 2012. Running virtually the entire duration of the Games, the Olympic Handball competition gets underway with the preliminaries (and women's quarter-finals) at the Handball Arena. Also taking place at the arena will be the Paralympic Goalball competition.

Olympic Events

Handball (preliminaries)
28th July-7th August

Paralympic Events

Goalball
30th August-7th September

Nearby

Westfield Stratford

The Handball Arena is located within the Olympic Park in Stratford. Even though the park isn't located within central London, there are numerous shops, restaurants and entertainment venues nearby:

Westfield Stratford City Shopping Centre

10 minute walk
This 1.9 million square foot shopping mall has been billed as the 'gateway' to London's Olympic Park. With 300 high street shops, 50 or so restaurants, a 14-screen cinema, a bowling alley and the UK's largest casino, it's an impressive entertainment venue that's located just minutes away from the Olympic Park.

Restaurants

Forman's Fish Island

7 minute walk
Best of British menu devised by Lloyd Hardwick

Bistrotheque

Bethnal Green - 2 tube stops from Stratford, via the Central line
Minimalist warehouse chic restaurant with a great brunch menu

King Eddie's

20 minute walk
An east-end style gastropub with a traditional and affordable menu

Nightlife/Pubs

The Britannia

24 minute walk
Large pub garden, jukebox and laidback atmosphere

Pub on the Park

London Fields station - 1 stop from Stratford, via National Rail
Large garden and extensive beer menu, with traditional bitters and run-of-the-mill lagers

Shopping

Roman Road Market

Mile End Tube - 1 stop from Stratford, via London Overground
Situated on the oldest known trade route in Britain, this market offers crafts, antiques, food, clothing and more

Entertainment

Hackney PictureHouse

Hackney Central - 1 stop from Stratford, via London Overground
Seven-screen cinema with three bars - including Hackney Attic which hosts music and comedy evenings

Theatre Royal Stratford East

18 minute walk
450-seat theatre that showcases new writing and ethnically diverse plays

Leisure

The Greenway

7 minute walk
A flat, almost continuous and straight traffic-free walking and cycling route that carves through East London at a high level

All Star Lanes

10 minute walk
Bowling alley located within Westfield Stratford Centre

Victoria Park

Mile End Tube - 1 stop from Stratford, via the Central Line
The city's first public park boasts picturesque lakes and an Old English Garden

Travel

There are numerous options when travelling to the Olympic Park. Driving is not advised due to high levels of traffic and restricted parking - limited, pre-booked parking will be available for disabled spectators. Public transport options include:

Javelin Train

Delivering passengers from St Pancras to Stratford International in just seven minutes, the Olympic Javelin high-speed train shuttle service will take up to an estimated 25,000 travellers per hour.

Overground Stations

National Rail, Docklands Light Railway and London Overground will run trains to the following stations:

London Underground

Stratford - Jubilee and Central Lines
West Ham - District, Hammersmith & City, and Jubilee Lines

Walking and Cycling

Greenway walking and cycling routes will connect the Olympic Park with numerous locations - including Victoria Path, Lee Valley North and Epping Forest. The walking routes are step free and there will be free cycle parking provided at the Eton Manor Transport Hub, Greenway Transport Hub and Victoria Park.