Scottish Company To Build Third Biggest Venue On The Olympic Park

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has awarded the contract to build the main structure of the Basketball Arena to a Scottish company based in Glasgow, bringing the total of Scottish companies to win London 2012 contracts to 30.

During the Olympic Games the temporary Arena will have 12,000 seats for the Basketball preliminaries and quarter-finals, as well as the Handball semi-finals and finals. During the Paralympic Games it will have a capacity of 10,000 seats for Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Rugby.

It will also house the athletes before they make their way down to the stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies.

Scottish companies that have already won work supplying the ODA include:

• BiP Solutions, from Glasgow, which is assisting the ODA deliver strong supply chain opportunities
• The Miller Partnership is part of the team reviewing technical standards of venues
• Weldex Offshore Limited based in Inverness are providing cranes for the Stadium
• Euro Pools PLC from Glasgow are providing Pool Treatment services to the Aquatics Centre

Fifteen Scottish businesses have now been awarded contracts directly with the ODA with a further 15 Scottish businesses have won Games-related work through the supply-chain.


ODA Chairman John Armitt said: "We want to work with the best in British businesses to deliver the venues, and companies of all sizes. The Basketball Arena is a significant venue for us as it will be the third largest venue on the Park, and will be the largest temporary structure ever built for an Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"I'm delighted that another contract has been awarded to a Scottish company, demonstrating that the Games are benefitting the whole nation."

The Arena will be the largest temporary venue built for any Games. There is no legacy requirement for the basketball arena as the Handball Arena will be turned into a multi-purpose sports centre.

The contractor will therefore own the Basketball Arena structure, and the ODA will 'rent' it from them for the duration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Afterwards, the contractor will dismantle it and remove it from site, significantly reducing the overall cost for the construction of the arena compared to making the arena a permanent venue.

(GK/JM)