The construction of the London 2012 Handball Arena is now complete.

This makes it the third venue on the Olympic Park to reach completion: the first to be finished was the Velodrome; the second, the Olympic Stadium.

As well as handball, the new Handball Arena will also host the fencing part of the modern pentathlon and the goalball competition during the Paralympic Games.

Handball Arena: Sustainability

The Handball Arena was designed and built with sustainability as a priority.

The copper cladding has a high recycled content, while the arena can be lit naturally, through 88 rooftop sun-pipes, achieving annual energy savings of up to 40% and greater illumination than similar-sized conventional lights.

During TV broadcasts or poor weather, the system can be switched off and electrical lighting used instead.

Water usage at the venue is saved by 40% through a rain-harvesting system that feeds into toilets and other systems.

Handball Arena: Legacy

After the Games, capacity in the Handball Arena will be increased to hold up to 7,500 spectators. It’ll become a multi-use venue for the community, athletics and events.

The removable lower seating means a variety of activities can take place inside, from international competitions to community sports such as basketball, handball, badminton, boxing, martial arts, netball, table tennis and volleyball.

“It is wonderful to have another permanent sport facility located in the Park which will provide an opportunity for all of these sports to continue to develop in legacy,” said London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe.

“With the venue completed well in advance of Games-time, we can stage handball and goalball test events later this year under similar conditions to Games-time to ensure we get our planning just right.”

The next venue on the list seems to be the Basketball Arena… Watch this space!

We couldn’t let the weekend pass without sharing with you this fantastic shot from our flickrpool of the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship London by dodsworld.

The warm-up weekend turned out to be a fantastic success. Three major sporting events took place in the capital on Saturday, and with just over three years to go until the start of the London Olympic Games, all eyes were on London.

Sports fans were spoilt for choice between:

1. The modern pentathlon’s World Championships in Crystal Palace
2. The triathlon’s World Series in Hyde Park
3. Basketball’s Game On tournament at The O2 Arena in Greenwich

If you were lucky enough to see any of the events, please let us know what you thought in the comments below.

If you’re looking fora great write-up of the whole weekend, we recommend you take a look at Ollie William’s blog on the Warm Up Weekend for the BBC.