London 2012’s Olympic handball venue has been rebranded “The Copper Box” in a nod reflective of its inspired exterior cladding.

The 7,000 seater arena features some 3,000 square metres of copper cladding and boasts a multi-coloured interior, according to Reuters. It is set to host the handball competition right up until the semi-final stages of the competition before being repurposed for basketball use.

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The Copper Box

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The arena will also host goalball – a team sport designed for blind competitors – and the modern pentathlon fencing. After all the events have taken place, it will be transformed into a multi-use community sports centre for legacy use.

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In a statement, LOCOG, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, defended the recent name change, arguing that it was appropriate because of the range of sports the venue will offer.

“To avoid any confusion with spectators during the Games we have created a name which reflects the venue’s iconic boxed-shape and distinct copper cladding rather than name it after a single sport,”

a spokesperson told BBC News.

Raised eyebrows at the re-branding

While the rebranding of the hall has raised eyebrows within the handball camps of Great Britain – after being formerly known as the Handball Arena – there’s no doubting the popularity of the sport in Europe.

According to BBC News, handball is the most popular team sport for women in Europe, and the second most for men. British schools are helping the sport to develop further in the UK too, as nearly 60,000 children were introduced to the sport in schools last year.