LONDON 2012: Water polo venue gets an inflatable roof

By Sportsbeat staff

LONDON 2012 organisers have been given the go-ahead to build a temporary water polo venue with a state of the art inflatable roof.

DYNAMIC: The London 2012 Water Polo Arena will sit alongside the aquatics centre, designed by Zaha Hadid (ODA)

The facility, which will sit alongside Zaha Hadid's much admired aquatics centre, will house 5,000 spectators and will be one of the last venues completed on Olympic Park.

Construction is due to start next spring with the Olympic Delivery Authority claiming the work will be finished 12 months later.

The silver coloured venue will be cloaked in a PVC membrane while the sloping roof will be given a rippling effect by thousands of air-inflated recycled cushions. 

"The Water Polo Arena is a distinctive and dynamic addition to the entrance to the Olympic Park," said Olympic Delivery Authority chief executive David Higgins.

"Its innovative shape and lightweight structure will look great and work well for spectators and athletes alike."