LONDON 2012 - Summer Olympic Games / Games of the XXX Olympiad

[goere]

I love that torch!!!!
It would be great if they eventually made the Orbit Tower and used that torch
Though haven´t heard anything about the Orbit Tower lately... when is the construction planned to start?

By the way axelferis, the picture is supposed to be the torch, not the cauldron. I never heard of using the tower as the cauldron. I think the agency that created that torch was just inspired by its structure and color...

[rafamlopes]

I think that torch is not official.

[RobH]

It's not, it's not even the right logo

[WooWoo]

Originally Posted by guy4versa4

yikes! im not so keen on that design

does any one have any news on the exterior wrap?
that was my favourite part of the design

[Axelferis]

it's just my opinion but i don't think this olympic edition will see the most memorable architecture realizations since several last ones (if we go till atlanta 1996)

The wish to not expense money influences obviously the most of buildings (except the velodrome)

It's clear london didn't want white elephants! But it's just imo

Rio demonstrates much more ambitions i think than london despite london is much more powerful.

Do you feel the same?

[RobH]

No, though given the gargantuan Games in Beijing I can understand why this perception has grown.

London may not match the hugeness and expense of two or three of Beijing's set pieces, nor the consistent architectural style Athens managed across its quite beautiful venues, but the range and quality of London's venues across the board, and much of the architecture is fantastic and rivals any past host. I've certainly seen nothing from Rio to suggest their plan is more ambitious.

Perhaps it's worth having another overview, now that many of the venues are on their way to completion:

The stadium whilst externally being not hugely interesting without the wrap, internally is stunning.



The Aquatics Centre is a new Zaha Hadid creation with a 160m curved roof and wooden clad interior, and will be stunning.

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The wooden clad velodrome is gorgeous.

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The handball arena is small but beautifully formed.

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The basketball arena, whilst completely temporary, looks fantastic with its evening lighting scheme; like a smaller version of Beijing's Watercube (three panels lit up here).



The new White Water Centre is beautiful:



Then we have Wembley, Lords, the O2, Old Trafford, Wimbledon, St James' Park, the Millennium Stadium, Eton Dorney Rowing Lake, the subtle sloping design of the new water polo arena, as well as temporary structures in Greenwich Park and Horse Guards which will show off surrounding architecture. And of course the marathon and road races will show off London (including the Shard which will be complete in 2012!) pretty well.

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And, whatever you think of it aesthetically (I'm still not sure what to make of it), there's more architectural talking points from the Orbit Tower, going up between the main stadium and Aquatics Centre.

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The buit-environment (if you count this as architcture) and the Urban Park (the biggest new Park in Europe for a generation) beat any recent host in their scale and ambition as well:



This is a £8bn project. There's going to be plenty to see. I think Beijing's set-piece venues (stadium and aquatics centre) have distorted some people's expectations to a worrying extent.

[WooWoo]

Originally Posted by Axelferis

it's just my opinion but i don't think this olympic edition will see the most memorable architecture realizations since several last ones (if we go till atlanta 1996)

The wish to not expense money influences obviously the most of buildings (except the velodrome)

It's clear london didn't want white elephants! But it's just imo

Rio demonstrates much more ambitions i think than london despite london is much more powerful.

Do you feel the same?

stop trolling!

London has manages to do what no other city (appart from beijing) has done: bring in modern architecture and themes. The logo for example: extrememly different than any other ones.




Londons stadiums are going to be one of a kind.
We dont have a water cube like Beijing or Rio, but a wave a water stretching up the olympic green.
Sure, the stadium is not of a quality as Beijings, but it is still one of the best looking stadiums in the world. That was untill they scrapped the wrapping

Also, i am a big watcher of the olympics, and i dont remember olympics for there stadia, i remember times like rebecca addlington winning double gold in the pool. Or the british dominance in the cycling, rowing and sailing. Or the Athens 4x100m relay mens gold. Or christine ohurogu's 400m gold and Dame kelly holmes doing the distance double.

They are moment that make me proud

[Bezzi]

Originally Posted by WooWoo

stop trolling!

London has manages to do what no other city (appart from beijing) has done: bring in modern architecture and themes. The logo for example: extrememly different than any other ones.

He just gave his opinion. I saw no offenses in what he said. Robh gave his Reply without having to call anyone troll.

[RobH]

Axelferis has been known to troll in 2012 threads in the past Bezzi. I didn't mind his last post however, and I think I've given a detailed enough answer to it.

[Bezzi]

About "modern architecture", I think the historical venues has even more value than anything new. Like Wimbledon for example.

[Bezzi]

Hey Rob, can you tell me what are the stadiums that will host the football games (if possible with pictures) and if there is already a match schedule? Here in South America, the qualifier for London will begin this month. There are only two places in a region with three forces (Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay). Will be very hard!

[rafamlopes]

Everyting is beautiful except for the Olympic Stadium (looking to much like it's indian version, even from inside...) and the tower.

My favorite peace is the velodrome but overall the green scenario will be the head point of the olympic park, wich, for me, is one step ahead of Beijing steel games.

[Bezzi]

I think the same. The only bad thing I think is the logo (no further comment) and the olympic stadium. Inside is impressive, but outside is strange with all that structures exposed. If they realy don't built the facade, I hope that at least they paint white these black structures that support the stands. I still can't understand why they have not hired a design at least similar to the concept that was presented during the application.

[RobH]

Originally Posted by Bezzi

Hey Rob, can you tell me what are the stadiums that will host the football games (if possible with pictures) and if there is already a match schedule? Here in South America, the qualifier for London will begin this month. There are only two places in a region with three forces (Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay). Will be very hard!

Sure:

Wembley - London (finals)



Old Trafford - Manchester:

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Millennium Stadium - Cardiff:

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St James Park - Newcastle:

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Hampden Park - Glasgow:

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City of Coventry Stadium (preliminaries):

[WooWoo]

Originally Posted by Bezzi

He just gave his opinion. I saw no offenses in what he said. Robh gave his Reply without having to call anyone troll.

me and axelferis dont really have the best friendship we had a long argument on another forum.
and there was no need to say anything bad though about london 2012

i have already signed up for my tickets, its going to be hair raising cheering on great britain to (hopefully) a gold!

and btw the football stadiums that have been confirmed are;
hamden park
millenium stadium
old trafford
St james park
Wembley

[DarJoLe]

..

[WooWoo]

also RobH, has there been confirmation that the banners that are held on? or is it there still talk of the design?

[Bezzi]

Originally Posted by RobH

Sure:

Wembley - London (finals)

Originally Posted by WooWoo

me and axelferis dont really have the best friendship we had a long argument on another forum.
and there was no need to say anything bad though about london 2012

i have already signed up for my tickets, its going to be hair raising cheering on great britain to (hopefully) a gold!

and btw the football stadiums that have been confirmed are;
hamden park
millenium stadium
old trafford
St james park
Wembley

Thank you. Can you imagine a golden medal match between Britain and Brazil at crowded Wembley?

[Lord David]

Originally Posted by WooWoo

me and axelferis dont really have the best friendship we had a long argument on another forum.
and there was no need to say anything bad though about london 2012

i have already signed up for my tickets, its going to be hair raising cheering on great britain to (hopefully) a gold!

and btw the football stadiums that have been confirmed are;
hamden park
millenium stadium
old trafford
St james park
Wembley

It's a shame Belfast couldn't be included as with the original application (I know they scrapped the city during the candidate stage). Would have been a good opportunity to either build a new stadium or totally redevelop their existing one to at least 20,000.

[rafamlopes]

And what about the Emmirates?!