Copper Box
The Copper Box before a game between the Great Britain and Brazil national handball teams
Credit: Delusion23
The Copper Box was a venue for the 2012 Summer Olympics in the Olympic Park.

Previously known as the Handball Arena, it was renamed because, aside from handball, it hosted modern pentathlon (fencing) during the Olympics and was the goalball venue for the 2012 Summer Paralympics.

Construction of the building was completed on time in early 2011 and came in under budget. The design incorporates light pipes and rainwater collectors to reduce both energy and water use by 40%. Test events were successfully hosted at the venue ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.

In January 2012, the venue was renamed the Copper Box from the Handball Arena, thus reflecting the look of the building and the fact that it would not just be used for Handball. English Handball campaigned for the rebrand to be reversed.

The Copper Box has 7,000 seats. It was used for handball preliminaries and modern pentathlon fencing during the Olympic Games, and for goalball during the Paralympic Games. The handball men's quarter-finals, all semi-finals and both finals were held at the larger Basketball Arena. The Copper Box was praised for its loud, exciting atmosphere during handball games.

The venue, post 2012, became a multi-sport arena for community use, athlete training and small-to-medium scale events. It will be the only permanent indoor sports arena retained in the Olympic Park.

On 8 August 2012, it was announced that British Basketball League side London Lions would re-locate to the Copper Box for the 2013–14 season.

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