London Lions tap pyramids experts for new basketball arena plans
The London Lions have appointed consultancies whose clients include the pyramids of Giza, the Eden Project and Formula 1 to help draw up plans for their new basketball arena.
The Super League Basketball club have engaged The Sports Consultancy, which has worked with F1, the Football Association and the NFL, and Trivandi, whose projects have spanned Villa Park, the pyramids and the Eden Project, to support a feasibility study.
Lions chiefs already have the backing of the Mayor of London’s Office for a world-class indoor venue, which will have at least 10,000 seats and is expected to cost hundreds of millions of pounds.
“We are proud to partner with two of the world’s leading firms in sports infrastructure and venue strategy,” said Lions CEO Lenz Balan.
“This arena is about more than just basketball; it’s about building something that reflects the ambition and diversity of London.
“It will be a modern venue capable of hosting the most elite of basketball competition, while anchoring a wider ecosystem that gives back to the community.
“That includes exploring a standalone basketball community centre, developing a best-in-class academy and elite player pathway, and finding new ways to unlock access to indoor courts across London.”
The London Lions, who are owned by Lithuanian tech investors behind the Nord cybersecurity brand, have not yet identified a site for the new arena, which is intended to become the premier basketball venue in the country.
London basketball arena to cost nine figure sum
Owner Tomas Okmanas told City AM in March that the venue could have a capacity of up to 20,000. He added: “We’re not sure of the budget, because of the size and scale and where it’s going to be, but we expect it’s going to be hundreds of millions of pounds.”
The Sports Consultancy previously helped the FA with the UK and Ireland’s successful bid to stage men’s Euro 2028, provided economic impact analysis for F1 and aided in the NFL’s appointment of host cities for games in Europe and South America.
“Our work will refine the vision for a new multi-purpose arena, testing key elements of the scheme to identify the most viable and deliverable option,” said Tom Pinnington, director at The Sports Consultancy. “The output from our work will be a clear project brief, underpinned by a robust outline business case, to carry forward to the next stages of development.”
Trivandi’s work has included redesigning the visitor experience at the pyramids of Giza, the redevelopment of the Holte End at Villa Park and assisting with the Eden Project’s region and international expansion plans.
“We’re bringing the best of our global experience in venue development and operations to help shape a destination that drives investment, inspires future generations, and opens up access to sport and entertainment for all,” said Peter Griffin, executive director at Trivandi.