London Olympics Copper Box Arena zencontrol UK

London Olympics Copper Box Arena

Location:

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, England

Contractor:

Buckingham Group

Consultant:

Capita

Project Overview

The Copper Box Arena is a 7,500-capacity indoor sports venue located within the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. Purpose-built for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the arena hosted Handball and Modern Pentathlon during the Olympics, and Goalball during the Paralympics.

Delivered over an eight-month programme from design to installation, the project required a highly reliable and flexible control solution capable of supporting a global broadcast audience and the operational demands of a major international sporting event.

The Integrated Control Solution

zencontrol delivered a fully automated and networked lighting control system across the arena, providing precise control of both lighting and associated mechanical systems.

In addition to the core lighting control components, zencontrol supplied and integrated control solutions for:

  • High inrush HDTV broadcast lighting
  • Sun pipe aperture motors
  • Lux lift motors
  • Toilet water solenoids

Working in conjunction with the Field of Play lighting controls, the system provides seamless control across the 13,700 m² back-of-house areas, including catering, security, media facilities and athlete warm-up spaces.

Centralised Control & Live Monitoring

All lighting and mechanical systems are centrally controlled from a head-end PC, providing real-time status information and system feedback. This live visibility ensured reliable operation throughout the Games, supporting uninterrupted performance during events watched by millions of viewers worldwide.

Commissioning, Maintenance & Operational Flexibility

System commissioning and ongoing maintenance were further enhanced through the use of tablet-based configuration tools, allowing engineers to adjust system parameters while observing equipment operation directly within the venue.

This approach proved particularly valuable for the 15-metre-high Lux lift motors and sun pipe aperture systems, enabling efficient setup, testing and fine-tuning within a complex, large-scale arena environment