Water Polo Arena

As the name suggests the venue will only host Water Polo during the London 2012 Games and it is planned for the structure to be dismantled after the competitions conclude.

It is the first bespoke Water Polo venue to be created for an Olympic Games and it is hoped that it will be relocated and rebuilt elsewhere in the future.

Indeed the wedge-shaped arena, which will be wrapped in silver, has been designed so that it can be easily taken down and re-assembled elsewhere in the UK, which is the post-Games plan as organisers try to promote the reuse of construction materials and reduce waste.

As one of several temporary arenas at the Games it was one of the last to be constructed. The materials used to create the striking looking venue included recycled cushions, which form part of the rippling PVC roof and are inflated with the aim of improving insulation and preventing condensation.

Another 'green' aspect of the arena is the inclusion of low-flow taps and showers to try to cut water consumption by 40 per cent. The Water Polo Arena features a 37-metre competition pool and a warm-up pool, and the roof of the building inclines in height from 12 metres on the lower side to 25 metres at its highest point.

Construction of the Water Polo Arena, which is located alongside the Aquatics Centre in the south-east corner of the Olympic Park, commenced early in 2011 but was not completed until the spring of 2012 – leaving a short period for test events to be successfully held at the venue before London 2012 gets underway.

One of those test events saw Australia, Great Britain, Hungary and the United States compete in a Water Polo International invitational event in May of this year, with the matches passing off smoothly and the competitors getting a taste for the real action this summer.

Capacity: 5,000

Public facilities: The Games Mobility service will be present, plus there is a London 2012 Shop. There will also be London 2012 information points for venue and sports information, transport updates, lost and found services and pushchair and wheelchair storage.

History: Purpose built for the London 2012 Olympic Games, construction on the temporary structure began in spring 2011 and was completed in 2012. The arena hosted an Olympics test event in May 2012.

What’s on?: Water polo (July 29-August 10 and August 12).

How do you get there?: As part of the Olympic Park site the Water Polo Arena will be well served by public transport during the Games. It can be reached via rail, underground, Docklands Light Railway, bus or coach. National Rail, London Underground and DLR all serve Stratford station to the east of the park and West Ham station to the south, while Transport for London has bus stops in the area and there will be coach services to the park.

Location – in relation to other venues: On the Olympic Park site in Stratford in East London, the Aquatics Centre is adjacent to the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics Centre.

Location – in Olympic park: The Water Polo Arena is situated to the south-east corner of the Olympic Park and stands at the park's entrance.

Location – on the tube: Closest underground stations are Stratford (Jubilee and Central lines - around 15-minute walk) or West Ham (District and Hammersmith & City lines – around 25-minute walk).