The Basketball Arena is being readied for the 12,000 black and orange seats that will be installed in the venue.

The seating structure is taking shape inside the Arena ready for the seats to be built into the venue. They have been designed to represent the colours of a basketball.

The 1,000-tonne steel frame only started in March, just over a year before the expected project completion date in April 2011. The temporary Arena will be dismantled after the Games, and potentially reused elsewhere.


Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt said: "The Basketball Arena is going up rapidly and has been a feature of the east London skyline for some time now. Just seven months after work started on the structure, the seats are ready to be fitted.

"As the fourth largest sports venue on the Olympic Park by capacity, it is encouraging that work is continuing at an excellent rate and it is on track to complete next year in time for Test Events."

(CD/KMcA)