Copper Box Handball Arena in Pictures

 
 
 
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Handball Arena

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Handball Arena
Handball Arena
Handball Arena
The venue
 

 

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

 
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The venue

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

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

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

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.

 
 
 

Time lapse video

 

The construction of the Handball Arena condensed into just under two minutes.

 
 
 
 

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