Basketball
Controversial modern landmark to play leading role in London Games
A CONTROVERSIAL centrepiece for Britain's Millennium celebrations, the Dome is nevertheless one of the most recognisable landmarks in London and will host the gymnastics and basketball during the Olympics.
The Dome is located in the London borough of Greenwich, an area steeped in history. East meets West at the Greenwich Meridian. World time is set to Greenwich Mean Time. Greenwich also has a long royal heritage; it was the birthplace of King Henry VIII and his daughters Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I.
It also figures prominently in the opening credits of each episode of EastEnders , the popular BBC soap opera that is screened four times per week.
Built between 1996 and 1999, the Dome is set on a 181-acre site surrounded on three sides by the River Thames and located just 12 minutes from central London.
It is also positioned just five minutes from the new Eurostar terminal at Stratford, the Dome is perfectly positioned to receive both international and UK visitors.
Development work is currently being undertaken to turn the Dome into a 23,000 capacity world-class entertainments and leisure arena with facilities unmatched in Europe.
It is now operated by AEG, one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. A subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation, it is dedicated to producing, promoting and presenting world-class, live entertainment.
It is due to reopen in 2007 as the O2 Arena as part of a sponsorship deal with the mobile telephone operator and will host the 2009 World Gymnastics Championships. The operators are also planning to submit a bid to host the World Figure Skating Championships.
Under the strict proposed Olympic law, though, they will not be allowed to call it by its new name during the Games in 2012 because O2 are not an official sponsor of the International Olympic Committee.
The Dome's size makes it is an ideal space for indoor sports. With a circumference of 1km, it is the largest structure of its type in the world: twice as big as the dome in Atlanta, Georgia; big enough to fit the Great Pyramid of Giza inside; and wide enough to store the Eiffel Tower on its side. So big is the Dome that it has enough floor space to accommodate 18,000 London double-decker buses.
A leisure and entertainment district is currently being built under the Dome canopy. It will include up to 12 world-class restaurants, sports bar, cinema, nightclubs and a wide range of shopping, cafes and bars.
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