London 2012 Basketball Venue (external materials)

Olympic Delivery Authority

Twelve thousand capacity temporary arena for the basketball competition and the Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Rugby competitions. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre.

We reviewed the original planning application for this scheme on 30 January 2009.

We have now considered the additional information provided relating to the detailed design of the external membrane of the Basketball venue and make the following comments in respect of detail and the overall building.

We are happy to support the outcome of what has been a productive, iterative design process. Certainty as to use and re-use has helped focus on the necessary attributes of this very large temporary facility. We think, as proposed, the venue will be striking and that the final detail design of sculpted membrane panels is a considerable improvement on earlier versions.

We think the proposed LED lighting strategy in its current form would be acceptable although we would understand if other strategies, for example projection, were in the end employed. In respect of the fabric colour we think that projection would be better served by the lighter colour envisaged. We anticipate reviewing the final proposed lighting choice at the appropriate time.