The Copper Box Arena played host to a number of events during the London 2012 Games, most notably the fencing section of the modern pentathlon, and the Paralympic goalball and handball events.
Originally known as the Multi-use Arena or Handball Arena, the venue was renamed the Copper Box in January 2012, to better reflect the look of the building.
In April 2012, The London Legacy Development Corporation was formed with a vision to drive a lasting legacy after the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In practice, that meant using the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of London 2012 to develop a dynamic new heart for east London and create opportunities for local people, as well as driving innovation and growth across the city and UK.
Today, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is at the heart of the new east London, which has become a diverse and vibrant community. The London Legacy Development Corporation is responsible for the redevelopment of the Park and influences and shapes the way in which the surrounding area will grow and develop.
Part of the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic venues, was that they re-opened after the Games to be vibrant, well-used spaces for the local community.
The Copper Box Arena was the first venue to re-open in legacy mode on 27th July 2013, exactly one year on from the start of London 2012. The venue is now consider one of London’s most versatile and exciting events spaces, which is also open to the public as a state-of-the-art gym. As part of its London 2012 Legacy commitments, the Copper Box Arena delivers a diverse and plentiful grassroots sports programme for the local community.
Since opening to the public, the Copper Box Arena has had more than 1 million visitors and has staged high profile international and national sporting events, tournaments, shows, exhibitions, concerts and conferences, including BBC Sport Relief and Invictus Games. It is also home to the London Lions basketball team.
The Copper Box Arena is operated by charitable social enterprise GLL, on behalf of London Legacy Development Corporation. GLL is the largest UK-based charitable social enterprise and exists to make community services and spaces better for everyone.
The building is clad in sustainably sourced copper which will develop a rich natural colour as it ages.
With sustainability at the forefront of the design, 88 lightpipes were incorporated in the roof to draw natural light into the venue and recycled rainwater is collected to be re-used across the site. These features achieve annual energy savings of up to 40 percent and reduce water use.
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We opened our doors to the public after London 2012 on 27th July 2013. See what we've achieved.