The Water Polo Arena was a temporary sporting venue of the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
held in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
from 27 July to 12 August 2012. It was situated in the south-east corner of the
Olympic Park
An Olympic Park is a sports campus for hosting the Olympic Games. Typically it contains the Olympic Stadium and the International Broadcast Centre. It may also contain the Olympic Village or some of the other sports venues, such as the aquatics c ...
, alongside the
Aquatics Centre, and opposite the
Olympic Stadium
''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games. An Olympic stadium is the site of the opening and closing ceremonies. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words ''Olympic Stadium'' as ...
on the opposite bank of the
Waterworks River
Waterworks River is a river, at one time a tidal river, in the London Borough of Newham, one of the Bow Back Rivers that flow into the Bow Creek part of the River Lea, which in turn flows into the River Thames.
The river is an artificial chann ...
.
The Aquatics Centre and Water Polo Arena were adjacent to each other in one of the most compact areas of the park. To make the best use of the space available, some back-of-house facilities, such as space for broadcasters, catering and security, were shared between the two venues.
Construction
![Inside the polo arena - 2012 Olympics](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Inside_the_polo_arena_-_2012_Olympics.jpg)
Construction on the temporary structure began in spring 2011. During the Olympics, the 5,000-seat arena
hosted both the men's and women's
water-polo competitions, and contained both a warm-up pool and a
competition pool.
The first dedicated water-polo venue to be built for an Olympics,
the structure was taken down after the games. Elements of the venue were expected to be reused or relocated elsewhere.
Parts of the roofing covers and membranes of different temporary venues of the building were to be recycled via
Vinyloop. This allowed the organizers to meet the standards of the
Olympic Delivery Authority
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) was a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, responsible for ensuring the delivery of venues, infrastructure and legacy for the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games ...
, concerning environmental protection. Through this recycling process, the Olympic Games PVC Policy was to be fulfilled, which stated that
:Where London 2012 procured PVC for temporary usage or where permanent usage was not assured, London 2012 was required to ensure that there was a take-back scheme that offered a closed loop reuse system or mechanical recycling system for
post-consumer waste
Post-consumer waste is a waste type produced by the end consumer of a material stream; that is, where the waste-producing use did not involve the production of another product.
The terms of pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled materials are ...
.
London 2012 were the first Olympic Games whose guidelines included the recycling of PVC. Recycled cushions, which form part of the rippling PVC roof, were used to create the striking looking venue, as well as to improve insulation and prevent condensation.
See also
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Venues of the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics venues were mostly located in the host city of London, though some other events required facilities located elsewhere. Between the successful bid and the Olympics and Paralympics themselves, several detai ...
*
List of Olympic venues in water polo
__NOTOC__For the Summer Olympics, there are 34 venues that have been or will be used for water polo. Debuting in 1900, the first venues took place similar to that of the swimming events. By the 1908 Games, the first water polo venue not locate ...
References
External links
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{{Indoor arenas UK
2012 establishments in England
Venues of the 2012 Summer Olympics
Sports venues completed in 2012
Indoor arenas in London
Olympic water polo venues
Swimming venues in London
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Defunct indoor arenas in the United Kingdom