LONDON | 2012 Olympics Park Development News

[SkyscraperSuperman]

They're for spectators, but they're only temporary. After the Olympics, I'm pretty sure they're going to be removed.

[acc521]

Looks like the Stadium will be West Ham's home after the games

West Ham beat Tottenham to win Olympic stadium backing
By Adrian Warner
Olympics correspondent, BBC London

West Ham have won the backing of Olympic bosses in the battle for the 2012 stadium, BBC London has learned.

Olympic Park Legacy Company executives have decided the offer from the club - which would retain the athletics track - is better than Tottenham's rival bid.

The OPLC board will be asked to support the view and announce the Hammers as preferred bidder on Friday.

The government and London's mayor will take a final decision but are expected to back the OPLC's recommendation.

An OPLC spokesman said: "It is pure speculation to say that a decision has been made.

"Our board meets on Friday. There will be presentations by OPLC officers of both bids and a vote to recommend a preferred bidder."

It would be a surprise if ministers and the mayor, Boris Johnson, overturn the recommendation of OPLC executives, who have spent the last few months discussing the various plans with both clubs in detail, when they reveal their decision in the coming weeks.

West Ham are happy for the athletics track to be kept in the stadium and for the venue to be used for a variety of sports and concerts.

Tottenham's plans were to dismantle the stadium in Stratford and build a new football ground in its place.

The Spurs proposal has faced huge criticism from the athletics world, MPs and the public.

A recent BBC London poll suggested 81% of Londoners were against the proposals to rip up the athletics track.

The ComRes phone poll, carried out between 21 and 23 January, also suggested 72% of people in London wanted West Ham to get the stadium, with only 13% supporting Tottenham.

Ministers and the mayor are understood to be well aware that the Tottenham option would have been a "hard sell" to taxpayers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12412739

[PortoNuts]

Palace finish for Olympic road race

Cyclists are to sprint down The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace in the climax to the London 2012 cycle road race, it has been announced. Hopes will be high for homegrown success in the opening weekend of the 2012 Olympics with sprint king Mark Cavendish plus Olympic champion Nicole Cooke and Beijing women's time-trial silver medalist Emma Pooley likely to be among the pack.

The men's Olympic race, featuring 145 of the world's top riders, is on the first full day of sport while the 67-strong women's race starts the following day. The race will begin and finish in The Mall in central London cutting through Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham to cross the River Thames at Putney Bridge.

Richmond is set to be the heart of the race. Riders will speed through Richmond Park, back across the Thames at Richmond Bridge before passing through Bushy Park, Hampton Court Palace and into Surrey. From Richmond the athletes head off on a large loop through Surrey taking in Walton on Thames, Weybridge, West Byfleet, West Horsley and Dorking.

This is where a "challenging" 15.5km circuit around Box Hill, including the National Trust's Zig Zag Hill, kicks in, according to London 2012. This loop is repeated several times to help make up the approximately 240km distance for men's race and the 130km course for the women's competition.

The pack then heads back to London through Leatherhead, Esher, Hampton Court, Kingston and Richmond Park before using the same route back to The Mall. Cavendish, who won his 15th Tour de France stage last year, is already looking forward to his Olympic challenge.

"Competing in a home Olympic Games is a once in a lifetime opportunity," he said. "To compete in the road race on the opening day of the London 2012 Games in front of home fans is going to be amazing. I look forward to checking out the course in detail and to experiencing the well known cycling terrain in Surrey through to the finish on The Mall."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukp...21297332571A00

[PortoNuts]

London 2012 Olympics: venue guide


1) Venue: Aquatics Centre
Location: South-east Corner of the Olympic Park
Hosting: Diving, Swimming, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo, Paralympic Swimming, Modern Pentathlon.
Capacity: 17,500 for Diving and Swimming events and 5,000 for Water Polo.
About: New venue for the Games, with a stunning wave-like roof 160m long and 80m wide.
Fact: The roof of the centre will have a longer single span than Heathrow Terminal 5
Post Games: It will be transformed into a facility for locals as well as elite swimmers. Two of the wings will be removed leaving a maximum capacity of 3,500.

2) Venue: Basketball Arena
Location: North of the Olympic Park
Hosting: Basketball, Handball, Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Rugby.
Capacity: 12,000 during the Olympic games; 10,000 during the Paralympic Games.
About: New venue for the Games, however it is only temporary and will be one of the largest ever temporary venues built for any Olympics.
Fact: To accommodate the size of the athletes, all doors in the venue are required to be at least 2.4 metres high.
Post Games: It will be dismantled after the Games.

3) Venue: Earls Court
Location: West London, near the Natural History and Science Museums
Hosting: Indoor Volleyball
Capacity: 15,000
About: Existing venue which during the year hosts hundreds of events as well as music concerts.
Fact: Britain’s first supermarket opened in Earls Court in 1951.
Post Games: After the Games, Earls Court will go back to being an exhibition centre and music arena.

4) Venue: Eton Dorney
Location: Near Windsor Castle, 25 miles west of London
Hosting: Rowing, Canoe Sprint, Paralympic Rowing.
Capacity: Up to 30,000
About: Existing venue which hosts all types of races, including internationals, and is in the process of being enhanced. The lake came about as an idea by Eton College teachers in the 60s, who wanted a still-water course rather than the choppy waters of the Thames.
Fact: To minimise disruption to the local community extracted construction material was removed on a special conveyor belt to a point two miles away for collection by lorry there.
Post Games: The venue will continue to be a world class training and competition facility.

5) Venue: Eton Manor
Location: In the north of the Olympic Park
Hosting: Wheelchair Tennis
Capacity: 10,500
About: New facilities are being built here on the site of the old Eton Manor Sports Club which has been disused since 2001. During the Games, Eton Manor will have temporary pools for swimmers in aquatics events, and will then host the Wheelchair Tennis during the Paralympics.
Fact: There are more than 120 tournaments on the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour worldwide.
Post Games: Eton Manor will be transformed into a unique mix of sporting facilities for local communities, which will include 10 tennis courts (four indoor, six outdoor), two hockey pitches and five-a-side football pitches.

6) Venue: ExCeL
Location: Near London City Airport in East London.
Hosting: Boxing, Fencing, Judo, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Boccia, Paralympic Table Tennis, Paralympic Judo, Paralympic Powerlifting, Sitting Volleyball, Wheelchair Fencing.
Capacity: ExCeL will be divided into 4 sports halls with capacities ranging from 6,000 to 10,000.
About: It is an existing venue which is an exhibitions and conference centre and rivals Earls Court for being the best exhibition centre in London. No work will need to be done to the centre.
Fact: Since 2000, ExCeL has welcomed over 5 million visitors from over 200 different countries.
Post Games: The venue will revert to being one of Europe’s largest exhibition spaces.

7) Venue: Greenwich Park
Location: In south-east London on the south bank of the river Thames.
Hosting: Equestrian- Jumping, Dressage, Eventing and Paralympic Equestrian. Also Modern Pentathlon.
Capacity: 23,000.
About: Existing venue, which is an enclosed royal park, with the Old Royal Naval College and the National Maritime Museum also within its grounds.
Fact: Henry VIII introduced deer to Greenwich Park in the 16th Century for him to be able to hunt them. He did not catch them all however, and some still remain in the park today.
Post Games: The temporary structures will be taken down and the park will return to the way it was.

8) Venue: Hadleigh Farm
Location: East of London in Essex
Hosting: Mountain Bike
Capacity: 3,000, not including standing around the course
About: It is a new, 550 acre venue, which is the alternative site to the original Weald County Park which was deemed not challenging enough.
Fact: Hadleigh Farm is owned by the Salvation Army
Post Games: The temporary structures will be taken down.

9) Venue: Handball Arena
Location: In the west of the Olympic Park
Hosting: Handball, Goalball, Modern Pentathlon.
Capacity: 7,000
About: New, permanent venue which will host the handball games up to the quarter-final, but the semis and the finals will be played in the larger Basketball Arena.
Fact: Rainwater collected from the venue’s roof will be used to flush lavatories and reduce water usage by 40%.
Post Games: It will be adapted to become a multi-use sports centre for the community to use, as well a training centre for athletes and a venue for small to medium sized competitions.

10) Venue: Hockey Centre
Location: Olympic Park
Hosting: Hockey, Paralympic 5-a-side Football, Paralympic 7-a-side Football.
Capacity: 15,000
About: New venue, composed of two pitches, the main pitch with a capacity of 15,000 and the second pitch with a capacity of 5,000.
Fact: The first Olympic Hockey final was played in 1908 in London, where England defeated Ireland 8-1.
Post Games: The hockey pitches will relocate to the north of the Olympic Park, joining a collection of facilities in a place known as Eton Manor.

11) Venue: Horse Guards Parade
Location: In Whitehall, in the heart of London next to Downing Street and Buckingham Palace
Hosting: Beach Volleyball
Capacity: 15,000
About: The venue will be new, however the Parade has a long history, hosting the Queen’s official birthday celebration each year with the Trooping of the Colour.
Fact: At the 1996 Olympics, The USA men's side were so good that they had two teams playing each other in the final.
Post Games: The temporary facility will be taken down.

12) Venue: Hyde Park
Location: In the West End of London
Hosting: Triathlon, 10k Open Water Swim.
Capacity: 3,000
About: Hyde Park is the largest of London’s Royal Parks and has been open to the public since 1637. The seating will be a new but temporary addition to the park.
Fact: Queen played a concert here in 1976 with an estimated audience of between 150-200,000 people turning up.
Post Games: The course and the grandstand will be removed.

13) Venue: Lee Valley White Water Centre
Location: 30km north of the Olympic Park
Hosting: Canoe Slalom
Capacity: Up to 12,000
About: The centre will be a new, permanent venue which is made up of two courses, one for training, one for competition.
Fact: 15 cubic metres of water per second will flow into the 300m competition course – enough to fill a 50m swimming pool every minute.
Post Games: The venue will remain a Canoe centre open to the public as well as elite athletes, but the temporary seats will all be removed.

14) Venue: Lord’s Cricket Ground
Location: North-west London near Regent’s Park
Hosting: Archery
Capacity: 6,500
About: Lord’s is an existing venue and in sporting terms, is the ‘home of cricket’ and has been since 1814, hosting international matches on a regular basis.
Fact: The ground slopes 8ft 8in from one square boundary to the other.
Post Games: The ground will go back to being home for the Marylebone Cricket Club and Middlesex County Cricket Club. Archery equipment from the Games will be given to schools across the country.

15) Venue: North Greenwich Arena
Location: Right at the point of the Greenwich peninsular in East London near Canary Wharf
Hosting: Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline, Basketball, Wheelchair Basketball
Capacity: 20,000
About: The Arena (also known as the O2 Arena), is an existing venue which currently hosts hundreds of concerts a year as well as sporting events such as tennis. It is widely regarded as one of the best venues in the world, attracting the biggest names in entertainment.
Fact: If the Eiffel Tower was laid on its side, it would still fit inside the arena.
Post Games: It will remain an entertainments venue, attracting people from all over the world.

16) Venue: Olympic Stadium
Location: In the south of the Olympic Park
Hosting: Athletics, Paralympic Athletics
Capacity: 80,000
About: The Stadium is being built from scratch and aims to be constructed by next year. 55,000 of the 80,000 capacity is removable, which apparently has never been attempted before.
Fact: 10,000 tonnes of steel are being used to build the venue, compared to the 42,000 used by Beijing for their ‘Bird’s Nest’.
Post Games: Negotiations are still ongoing as to what exactly will happen to the Stadium, with various sporting clubs in London all expressing interest in using or leasing it.

17) Venue: Olympic Village
Location: In the Olympic Park
Hosting: All athletes and officials.
Capacity: 17,000
About: As well as residential apartments, the village will comprise of shops, restaurants, medical, media and leisure facilities. There will also be a ‘Plaza’, where athletes can meet up with friends and families.
Fact: The plan of the village has been based around London’s tradition of building homes around communal squares and courtyards.
Post Games: The village will become housing for new residents in east London, transforming into 2800 homes.

18) Venue: Regent’s Park
Location: In the north-western part of central London partly in the City of Westminster and partly in the London Borough of Camden.
Hosting: Road Cycling
Capacity: 3,000
About: Another Royal Park, open to the public since 1845. The park is home to London Zoo as well as the Open Air Theatre. It will provide the location for the finish of the Road event in front of a temporary stand of 3,000 spectators
Fact: Britain’s first ever Gold in road cycling came in Beijing 2008, when Nicole Cooke won the Women’s Road Race
Post Games: All temporary structures will be taken down, and the park will go back to its original state.

19) Venue: The Royal Artillery Barracks
Location: On the edge of Woolwich Common in south-east London.
Hosting: Shooting, Paralympic Shooting, Paralympic Archery
Capacity: 7,500
About: The artillery barracks were constructed in the 18th century and it only seems fitting that the shooting events take place here. Four temporary indoor ranges will be built for Pistol and Rifle shooting, with outdoor ranges for Trap and Skeet events.
Fact: Hungarian shooter Karoly Takac, taught himself to shoot left-handed after a grenade blew off his right arm in 1938. 10 years later, he won two gold medals at the London 1948 Games.
Post Games: There is still uncertainty as to where elements of the venue and sports equipment could be reused after the Games.

20) Venue: Velo Park
Location: In the North of the Olympic Park
Hosting: Track Cycling, BMX, Paralympic Track Cycling.
Capacity: 6000 in the Velodrome (permanent), 6000 at the BMX track (temporary)
About: Totally new venue with the velodrome having two tiers, with a glass window in between the tiers for a 360-degree view of the Olympic Park.
Fact: Sir Chris Hoy was involved in the design process of the Velodrome.
Post Games: The BMX seating will be removed and the track reconfigured. A new mountain bike course and road cycle circuit will be added to create one venue which will encompass all disciplines of the sport.

21) Venue: Wembley Arena
Location: Northwest London, 6 miles from the city centre.
Hosting: Badminton, Rhythmic Gymnastics
Capacity: 6,000
About: Wembley Arena is one of the most famous concert venues in the world and has been host to many of the biggest names in the music industry. It has also hosted sporting events such as boxing, ice hockey and darts, so very little preparation needs to be done for it to be ready.
Fact: Wembley Stadium was the primary venue the last time the Games were held in London, in 1948. Was built for the equivalent of the Commonwealth Games (The Empire Games) in 1934 by Sir Arthur Elvin, and originally was intended to be a swimming pool.
Post Games: It will return to being a world-class concert venue.

22) Venue: Weymouth and Portland
Location: In Dorset on England’s South Coast
Hosting: Sailing, Paralympic Sailing.
Capacity: No seating at venue
About: Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour provide some of the best natural sailing waters anywhere in the UK, along with facilities to match on land. It has already hosted the World Youth Championships which was attended by over 60 nations.
Fact: Great Britain has been the most successful sailing nation at the last three Olympics.
Post Games: The venue will be used predominantly by the National Sailing Academy after the Games, who will no doubt benefit from the improved facilities. Local community use will also be allowed.

23) Venue: All England Lawn Tennis Club
Location: Wimbledon, London
Hosting: Tennis
Capacity: 30,000
About: Wimbledon is the home of the All England Tennis and Croquet Club and is the setting for arguably the best tennis tournament in the world which takes place every summer. It is famous for being the only major grass-court venue in the world.
Fact: ‘Love’ – the term for ‘no points’ in tennis – is thought to come from the French word ‘l’oeuf’, meaning ‘egg’ – the shape of a zero.
Post Games: Wimbledon will go back to being host of the major tennis tournament.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/oth...nue-guide.html

[beenpandy]

We only meet fortnightly but i now dontthink they are coming back and i have paid two lots of money for them. do you think Girlguiding will give it back to me as we are a small unit and are tight on funds.

[jerseyboi]

How London's Olympic Stadium looks


See Video>


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12461687

[property man]

The color is great but I don't agree with the design.

[Ervin2]

I'm glad to see that London is taking these games seriously, and really looking forward to them.

[zapor1]

So far, the architecture seems bad. The landscaping, the actual games and the ceromonies have to be good or else this will be a terrible olympics. What happened to that wrap around the olympic stadium? Is it just not there yet or are they not doing it.

[RobH]

A terrible Olympics? Unless you watch the Olympics for architecture rather than for sport, that's a completely ridiculous thing to say.

Besides which, the architecture is anything but bad and few hosts in the past or future will match what London is offering.

I'll refer you to a post I made a while ago to prove my point:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpo...&postcount=326

[RobH]

And if that isn't enough architecture for you zapor:

Two bits of cauldron news:

Thomas Heatherwick, creator of the UK Pavillion at The Shanghai Expo is to design the Olympic Cauldron.

http://www.paralympic.org/Media_Cent...1_02_18_a.html

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Also, news that the Olympic torch will be carried on a floating stage along the Thames from Hampton Court to Stratford on the day of the opening ceremony

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...and-opening.do

[PortoNuts]

Gensler draws up ski slope for Olympic media site

Gensler has drawn up plans for a radical indoor snow resort which could be built on the site of the Olympic media centre in Stratford. The 28,500sq m snow sports and leisure complex - called Snow in the City - is being built by artificial ski slope creator Acer Snowmec.

The company, which is behind a giant indoor ski slope at a Dubai shopping mall, said it had submitted an expression of interest to the Olympic Park Legacy Company for the scheme.

Plans include provision for downhill skiing, cross country skiing, bobsleigh, ice skating and curling. The scheme will also include a sports academy, office and media centre. The design has been conceived to minimise the shadowing effect of the 89m-high structure by creating an open undercroft area so that natural light can pierce the building.

The media centre was intended to be transformed into a new home for hi-tech businesses, but no major broadcaster or media group has yet been signed up to be an anchor tenant.







http://www.bdonline.co.uk/news/gensl...013415.article

[RobH]

New Velodrome Pics:









http://www.building.co.uk/buildings/...013390.article

[Ecological]

You just know this Olympics is going to be amazing yet people who have disagreed throughout will keep their stance so they aren't proved wrong. The facilities are perfect. the concept is perfect. the way it's laid out is perfect and with the UK's general media and sporting know it will be head and shoulders above every one. Only New York could replicate this type of Olympics.

Just look at it's setting! all clustered. Terrific.

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr

[PortoNuts]

The Velodrome is really the gem of this Olympic Park, together with the Aquatics Centre.

[R.K.Teck]

As soon as the grass and track are in the stadium, opinions will change - Joe Public's excitement levels will rise greatly as they realise just how close the games are!

[PortoNuts]

Olympic torch will travel down Thames on floating stage to grand opening

The Olympic torch will be carried on a floating stage along the Thames from Hampton Court to Stratford on the day of the opening ceremony, the Standard has learned.

Plans for a spectacular finale to the torch relay are being developed by 2012 creative supremos Stephen Daldry and Danny Boyle. The themed barge is inspired by the floating stages in annual open-air festivals at the Austrian city of Bregenz on Lake Constance. These have in recent years included water-borne adaptations of West Side Story and Il Trovatore.

The floating stage will depart from Hampton Court on the morning of July 27, then dock near the Olympic Park. The ceremonial cauldron will be lit in the stadium at 8.12pm. The Thames route was chosen as an ideal showcase for landmarks and also to keep the traffic convoy off the roads. The torch relay arrives in London a week before the Games after a nationwide journey that begins on May 18.

First details of the route will be revealed soon when Games organisers Locog name 69 evening celebration sites. Towns linking these will be identified later in the year but the street-by-street route will be kept secret until the last-minute, partly to minimise the risk of disruption by protesters.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...and-opening.do

[WooWoo]

Originally Posted by Ecological

image hosted on flickr

Excellent photos, coming along quite nicely

Question: Why did they go for different shaped lights in the end? Ive only just noticed they are different from the renders on the Olympic website

[DarJoLe]

Originally Posted by WooWoo

Question: Why did they go for different shaped lights in the end? Ive only just noticed they are different from the renders on the Olympic website

The increase in HD technology since the stadium design was unveiled meant a redesign of the lighting rigs - they now sit higher and in a different configuration to get even more light onto the track to basically 'over saturate' everything for the cameras.

[Mossy22]

Originally Posted by R.K.Teck

As soon as the grass and track are in the stadium, opinions will change - Joe Public's excitement levels will rise greatly as they realise just how close the games are!

I really hope your right, i just hope that the daily mail stop to think before they spread their lies and ruin these games for many people. Loving that shot of the olympic stadium above, i genuinely think that those spiked lighting towers are going to become iconic when its image is broadcasted across the world come next summer.