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  #181  
Old Posted Jul 27, 2009, 3:26 PM
nito nito is offline
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3

3 years to go




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  #182  
Old Posted Jul 28, 2009, 4:31 PM
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England will host 2015 Rugby (Union) World Cup
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8170488.stm

England have fought off rival bids from South Africa and Italy to win the right to stage the 2015 Rugby World Cup.



It will be the second time England have hosted the competition, the last time being in 1991.


The International Rugby Board (IRB) also announced that Japan will be hosts for the event in 2019.

The IRB voted 16-10 in favour of rubber-stamping the recommendation from Rugby World Cup Ltd (RWCL) that England and Japan should be named hosts.

The announcement by IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset had been widely expected after RWCL, the IRB-controlled company that oversees the tournaments, last month endorsed England and Japan as the strongest bidders.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) chairman Martyn Thomas called the decision "a relief, and also great joy for England".

"We have been trusted with making a great competition and providing a great spectacle, and delivering what the IRB needs in terms of host revenue," said Thomas.

"Australia did an immense job [in 2003], France raised the bar [in 2007] and we have got to raise it again. We have got some very iconic stadia and it will be tremendous for world rugby and immense for participation in England."

The RFU says England will lay on the biggest World Cup to date, generating a surplus at least £60m larger than that of the other bids. It says three million people will watch the games live at stadiums such as Wembley, Anfield, Old Trafford and Twickenham.

The only stadium outside England to host matches will be Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, which will stage two quarter-finals and some pool matches.

However, IRB chief executive Mike Miller confirmed England's plan to use the Millennium Stadium must still be ratified by the RWCL board - and that may not happen until next March.

The RFU must make a proposal to the IRB and provide compelling reasons that meet specific criteria that are in the best interests of the game globally for taking matches outside of England.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said it was a "fantastic achievement" to win the bid and congratulated the RFU on their success.

"I'm sure the whole country will want to play their part in making this the most memorable of Rugby World Cups," he added.

The event will form part of what Brown has labelled a "golden decade" of sport in the UK.

"The Rugby World Cup is yet another tremendous event to add to the country's decade of sport and another chance to show our nation's passion for sport and what world class facilities we have to offer. I'm sure it will be a tournament to remember," said Brown.

RFU chairman Thomas also offered his condolences to unsuccessful rival bidders South Africa and Italy.

"We have been there before [to France for the 2007 RWC], we know how they are feeling," said Thomas.

South Africa, in particular, were upset at losing out on the recommendation of the RWCL, and had been lobbying hard ahead of Tuesday's meeting.

They had pressed home the fact they had secured government support totalling £130m - £50m more than the tournament fee - compared to the £25m Westminster has made available to the RFU.

England's package is projected to generate £300m for the IRB, who rely on the tournament for 98% of their income.

On top of the £80m tournament fee, the UK market would attract a further £220m in commercial returns from broadcasting, sponsorship and merchandising, which is understood to be at least 20% more than the bids from either South Africa or Italy.

The IRB hope 2015 will bolster revenues from the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand - which is currently estimated to make an operating loss of between £20-30m.

The extra revenue will then be used as a springboard to take the sport into the emerging market of Japan four years later.

Japan's bid leaders expressed delight at winning Tuesday's vote to stage the 2019 event and become the tournament's first Asian hosts.

They narrowly missed out to New Zealand for the right to stage the event in 2011.

"The God of rugby smiled on us today," said Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) president Yoshiro Mori. "I am filled with emotion to be a part of this historic day for Japan and for rugby around the world.

"Japan has much to offer the rugby World Cup. We have a superb transport system, strong infrastructure and world-class stadiums.

"We are honoured to welcome the global rugby family to our country and for the first time ever to Asia."




This pretty much confirms London as the capital of sport for the planet!

Won:
2011 - Champions League Final, Wembley
2012 - 2012 Olympics
2013 - Rugby League World Cup
2015 - Rugby World Cup
2019 - Cricket World Cup

Bidding:
2018 - Football World Cup


If we manage the World Cup as well....that would be one major accomplishment that no country/city has ever achieved in the same decade. An excellent day for sports fans.
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  #183  
Old Posted Jul 30, 2009, 5:15 AM
kenratboy kenratboy is offline
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Nick - mind-boggling updates, thank you for the work. If these do not make one proud of their city or country, I do not know what would.

The fact these facilities are smack-dab in the center of London is a great benefit once the Olympics come and go. In 10, 20, even 50 years, there will be direct benefits still being felt from this project I imagine.

Now about the official logo...
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  #184  
Old Posted Aug 1, 2009, 2:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kenratboy View Post
Nick - mind-boggling updates, thank you for the work. If these do not make one proud of their city or country, I do not know what would.

The fact these facilities are smack-dab in the center of London is a great benefit once the Olympics come and go. In 10, 20, even 50 years, there will be direct benefits still being felt from this project I imagine.

Now about the official logo...
I personally can't wait - we are so spoilt for sport in this country, to actually then host the world across so many different sports in a decade is just immense.

The primary reason why London (and he UK) has won the rights to host all these events (and hopefully the 2018 World Cup - football returns home!) is because the British bidding teams moved away from the original mantra shared by its competitors of what we are better at than other cities/countries - but what the rights holders wanted for a successful and energetic games.


Excellent video from the London 2012 organisers that sums everything up to date with 3 years to go:

Video Link



With regards to the logo - I think it works in several ways:
- It is revolutionary; look at the logos for the previous Olympic games and they are commercial, and diluted to the point that you won't remember them. A successful brand is one that gets its image out there, even when people hate it - people will be able to recognise it and remember it.
- Due to the London games being pitched as the world's games for the youth of the world, it is more edgy and appealing to the exact market that London is looking at.
- It is a blank template, and geared as the first trully digital logo - the outline of '2012' stays the same, but the content could be used for anything, you couldn't do that with previous logos because of the way they are produced.

The logo embodies what the organisers are trying to achieve with this Olympics - something different. Unique.
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  #185  
Old Posted Aug 4, 2009, 5:06 AM
kenratboy kenratboy is offline
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Thanks!

Keep the updates coming, I hope I am not the only one reading (viewing) this thread.
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  #186  
Old Posted Aug 5, 2009, 9:50 PM
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I think this is something like the second most viewed thread in the General Developments sub-forum, but has very few posts.

I try to keep posts relevant so that they don't get cluttered with too much junk that most other threads appear to succumb to.




London 2012 Olympic Update

Olympic Park Panorama


Very large image: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2566/...8da13cb5_o.jpg


The Olympic Village





















MCC cannot be accused of tunnel vision over Lord's
The Times, April 10, 2008 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...Submitted=true

A railway station at Lord's, enabling spectators to walk straight to newly designed stands, is one of a number of projects under consideration as part of the £200million redevelopment of the ground. An indoor school, a real tennis court, banqueting facilities or a car park could also be built in the disused railway tunnel that runs beneath the Nursery End.



The tunnel, which was part of the Marylebone to Aylesbury train line, was constructed in 1897 and bears testimony to the expertise of Victorian architects and builders. This runs 200 metres from beneath Wellington Hospital to St John's Wood Road and extends 38 metres under the Nursery Ground. The original station at Lord's was demolished in 1939.

Keith Hague, the chief executive of Wellington Hospital, is keen to enter into negotiations with MCC with a view to opening a sports injuries clinic or gym at one end of the tunnel. The endless possibilities for utilising 40,000 square feet will be discussed by the Lord's Masterplan architect, soon to be appointed by the club.

A brief has been sent to five architects, including Herzog & de Meuron, which designed the Olympic Stadium in Beijing, giving them six weeks to outline detailed plans for the redevelopment of Lord's, which will take in five new stands. The committee to decide upon the final choice will be chaired by Sir John Egan, a former chief executive of BAA and of Jaguar.

“I would not want to live next door to Twickenham, but Lord's is a beautiful and airy place and provides huge opportunity,” he said. “It would be quite easy to copy the design of the existing stands, but I do not know what the designers will come up with. We shall need to improve the entrances, create better circulatory space and there is no purpose in building a good hotel without a first-class restaurant. I presume that the Wellington Road perimeter wall will have to come down. If Lord's loses its second Test of the summer, redevelopment will become even more important.”

No bodies, rats or even inebriated MCC members were discovered in the tunnel by RLP, the developers, when it acquired the space from Railtrack almost ten years ago. MCC owns the turf above the tunnel to a depth of 18in and erected temporary hospitality marquees because it could not build beneath the surface.

The architects will consider constructing apartments, a hotel or hospitality and leisure facilities for members. The market rate for property in St John's Wood is £2,000 per square foot. Although apartments may be visible from the pavilion, the view of the treeline that was so treasured and protected by Gubby Allen will disappear because of the rebuilding of the Compton and Edrich Stands at the Nursery End.

Planning permission for all the improvements to the ground will have to be granted by Westminster City Council and approval given by MCC members whose main concerns are increasing capacity to 35,000-40,000 and introducing retractable floodlights. Jack Bailey, a former MCC secretary, said: “In my time, in the 1970s and 80s, development was not considered because the land was not available from British Rail.”

One of the reasons why MCC is so keen to redevelop Lord's is to ensure that the second Test match of the summer to be held there is retained under the new staging agreements, which are being discussed by the ECB this week.
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  #187  
Old Posted Aug 6, 2009, 9:48 AM
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I check out this thread every few days. I decided I love London and I think that's gonna be my future home after I'm a famous architect... well... I'll live there, let's just leave it at that.
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  #188  
Old Posted Sep 12, 2009, 4:22 PM
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I've been in SE Asia for the past 3 weeks so been unable to update - so will try to get back up to scratch.




Falmouth Stadium, 22,000

Images sourced from Brighton & Hove Albion's website: www.seagulls.co.uk














London 2012: Aquatic Centre

Webcam shots sourced by DarJoLe at SSC.










London 2012: Olympic Stadium

Aerial image of the stadium taken by duncanmacrosson at flickr sourced by DarJoLe.






London 2012: Equestrian Site

Video Link





London 2012: Olympic Javelin Service

From St Pancras to Stratford via HSR - a HSR train every 5 minutes.

Video Link
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  #189  
Old Posted Oct 6, 2009, 2:46 PM
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Highbury Square

Arsenal's former football ground has now opened to residents. The area where the pitch used to remain is now an open space for residents, while the stands have been renovated for accomodation purposes. The art-deco exterior has also been restored.

The first image shows the new home of Arsenal - the Emirates to the right, and Highbury Square (their former ground) to the bottom left. This is a pretty unique development not just in London, but in the world!







The final day at Highbury


The new Emirates



Source: flickr




London 2012 Aquatic Centre

The first shots are taken by DarJoLe at SSC of what the Aquatic Centre will look like after the games. During the games there will be two temporary structures on either side to provide additional capacity. This way, the Aquatic Centre isn't left with tons of permanent seating that has no practical use.

His second batch of shots are of the tour around the park.


















In addition, the primary gateway to the Olympic park (250m long, 40m wide, 1,700 tonnes in weight) is beginning to be put in place. The bridge will be used by 200,000 people daily and form the roof of the training pool for the adjacent Aquatic Centre.

This is also the last of the five new bridges to reach the Olympic Stadium, while work progresses on 21 (of 30) other additional bridges that will connect the park which is laced by various rivers and waterways. Pics sourced by DarJoLe at SSC from the ODA website.








London 2012 Olympic Stadium

Progress updates courteous of DarJoLe at SSC.











And an aerial sourced by jerseyboi at SSC






London 2012: Velodrome






London 2012 Map

A new map has been released that shows the layout of the park during the games.

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/2855/olympicparkmaptf8.gif
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  #190  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2009, 8:30 PM
DIABOLICALIBERTY DIABOLICALIBERTY is offline
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Brilliant work Nick! Interesting to see the clip on Greenwich as local resident and well known journalist Andrew Gilligan has been trying to get the Equestrian events moved from Greenwich park for over a year in his columns in the standrad and that guy pretty much refuted all his spurious claims that dozens of trees would have to go and that the park will be ruined forever.
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  #191  
Old Posted Oct 23, 2009, 1:21 PM
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London 2012 Velodrome

Text and pictures sourced by DarJoLe

http://www.london2012.com/news/media...ure-take-s.php

8 October 2009, london2012.com

New images released by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) today show the construction of the London 2012 Velodrome racing ahead with work well underway on the structural steelwork that will help form the distinct double-curved shape of the venue.

The 6,000 seat Velodrome will host the Olympic and Paralympic Track Cycling events in 2012. The Velodrome design features a lower tier of 3,500 seats and an upper tier of 2,500 seats with the seating tiers divided by a 360 degree concourse level offering views over the Olympic Park and out to the London skyline.



Construction work on the Velodrome began on schedule in March and the 360 degree concourse level is now nearing completion. Work is also now well underway to lift the first sections of structural steelwork into place to form the Velodrome roof structure and support the upper tiers of seating.



More than 2,500 sections of steelwork will be installed altogether to complete the roof structure and upper tier of the Velodrome. The steelwork sections rise in height by 12 metres from the shallowest point to the highest part of the structure, helping form the distinct double-curved roof structure which has been designed to reflect the geometry of the cycling track.



At the track level of the venue, several sections of steelwork have already been installed in the lower tier of seating with the first pre-cast concrete terracing units now in place. Work on the steelwork that will support the cycling track is also now underway and due to be completed early next month.

Bolton-based company Watsons Steel is supplying the fabricated steel for Velodrome structure to the construction contractor in a deal worth over £3m.



ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said: 'The Velodrome will be another landmark new venue in the Olympic Park and with work underway on the structural steelwork we can begin to see the striking architecture of the Velodrome take shape. The good progress we are making on site keeps us on track to deliver a world-class stage for elite athletes in 2012 and the legacy of first-class facilities for a new generation of cyclists.

'Steel fabricated in the North West is playing an essential role in shaping the Velodrome and demonstrates the role that companies across the UK are playing in helping deliver the venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 Games.'



After the 2012 Games, the legacy Velodrome will be used by elite athletes and the local community and will include a café, bike hire and cycle workshop facilities. A road cycle circuit and mountain bike course will be added to the Velodrome and BMX circuit to create a legacy VeloPark that will combine cycling facilities across all disciplines in one cycling ‘hub’.



The legacy VeloPark will be owned, funded and operated by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. The construction of the VeloPark facilities includes funding from Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA), Sport England, Transport for London (TfL), and the London Marathon Charitable Trust (LMCT).






London 2012 Pictograms

Text and pictures sourced by DarJoLe

http://www.london2012.com/news/media...pictograms.php

16 October 2009, london2012.com

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today unveiled the London 2012 Olympic pictograms, the visual representations of each Olympic sport which will be used in the run up to and during the Olympic Games in 2012. The 38 pictograms represent the sports and disciplines at the Games and will be used for signage, on tickets and on the field of play at Games-time, becoming an important ‘wayfinder’ tool for spectators.



The London 2012 pictograms were developed in consultation with each International Sporting Federation and have been designed to be vibrant and accurate depictions of each sporting discipline. They will come in two different formats – a silhouette version for standard use and a dynamic version inspired by the connectivity of the London Underground map, which will be used on merchandise, posters, sign posts and wayfinding materials.



London 2012 Chairman Sebastian Coe commented, “The pictograms will be a vital wayfinder for spectators at Games-time and will become recognisable come 2012, but by unveiling them now we have a fantastic opportunity to use them as a tool for people to find out more about the Olympic sports. Over the next three years, each sport has a golden opportunity to tell its story and educate the British public about what it is on offer at London 2012. I hope the pictograms will be the gateway to achieve this and we will work with all of the governing bodies to ensure that knowledge of all the Olympic sports increases between now and 2012.”

Olympics Minister, Tessa Jowell said, “These pictograms will be a simple way of helping people navigate London during the Games and a reference point for fans of the Olympic sports in the run up to and throughout the Games in 2012. They will, I’m sure, become an enduring image of London 2012.”

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson commented, "These are bold and dynamic images, which capture the energy and colour of the Games. Each sport is illustrated with graphic simplicity and the way it incorporates the iconic London Underground visual identity is genius. The designs will add to the pleasure of everyone attending, as well as helping them navigate the city whilst the Games are on."

British Olympic Association Chairman Lord Moynihan said, “In 2012 Olympic sports and athletes will have a unique opportunity to showcase themselves to the UK and the world and the pictograms will help do that. They look fantastic and I am confident that they will become a key visual icon of the London 2012 Olympic Games.”

IOC Coordination Commission Chairman Denis Oswald said, “The pictograms of an Olympic Games are a unique link between the host city and the sports involved. The London 2012 pictograms are a strong and dynamic representation of the 2012 sports and are instantly recognisable as part of London’s look. This is particularly true of the dynamic version, which draws its inspiration from the London underground map, forever linking these Games to this great city. The Olympic summer sports are delighted by these designs and I hope that they will not just help people to find their way to the events but will also encourage young people to try out different Olympic sports as we head towards 2012.”

Olympic Games pictograms were first used at the 1948 Games in London and have become a regular feature of the Olympic movement since the Tokyo Games in 1964. The pictograms will be featured on limited edition adidas t-shirts on sale from October 24 2009 to celebrate 1000 days to go until the Olympic Games. There will be a full set of Paralympic pictograms which will be launched later this year.

The London 2012 Olympic pictograms represent each of the sports and disciplines of the Olympic Games.

There are two formats for each pictogram - a silhouette and a 'dynamic' version.


















2012 Aquatic Centre + Olympic Stadium

Update picture taken by marrio415 of the Olympic Park. The wave is by Zaha Hadid and probably the best building u/c in London at this precise moment. The Olympic Stadium is immediately begind, while in the foreground, the roof of Stratford station ticket hall is visible.

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  #192  
Old Posted Oct 27, 2009, 4:25 PM
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New White Hart Lane - 56,250

Spurs currently reside in a cramped and dated 36,000 stadium in North London. The plan is to build a new 56,000 stadium which would be slightly to the north of the site of the current stadium. Plans include a 63 row single-tier stand which is reminescent of the Kop at Liverpool's Anfield.

The club hopes to have the stadium built in time to play a part in any potential World Cup winning bid, however with FIFA's rule of no more than two stadia per host city, the new White Hart Lane would struggle what with it anticipated to be the 4th largest stadium in London; and that isn't counting potential 60,000 stadiums from Chelsea and West Ham in the near future.

The stadium would also incorporate a new square, hotel, residential area, and supermarket. All pictures sourced from www.tottenhamhotspur.com


Stadium interior - notice the 'Kop' single stand


External view looking eastwards, the new residential development is visible to the right


The new 'fan' square


Non-matchday view of the stadium in winter with ice-rink








Stadium profile











Transport
The stadium is connected loosely to four train stations, all of which handle match-day services.

Annoyingly the map isn't showing the stations, so I've tried to arrange the sites accordingly (red: National Rail line, light blue: Victoria line, dark blue: Primary Bus Route), the arrows generally point to the stations locations:
White Hart Lane (top left) can handle 10-15tph, and has a passenger capacity of 8-12k per hour
Northumberland Park (far right) can handle 8-11tph, and has a passenger capacity of 6-8k per hour
Tottenham Hale (bottom right) is a National Rail & London Underground interchange currently handling just under 40tph and up to 36k passengers an hour
Seven Sisters (bottom right) is a National Rail & London Underground interchange with just under 50tph, and up to 46k passengers per hour.

By 2012, capacity will have been increased by 19%, journey times reduced by 16%, and a 17% increase in train frequencies to support the stadium.

The no-parking area covers the blue shaded area which covers 568acres and several thousand households. The area would be expanded to ensure residents are not adversely affected.

The bus icon located to the left of the stadium states that 10 bus routes serve the stadium area (144 buses an hour)




Development
Unlike the Emirates, which was located 200m away from the old Highbury stadium, the new White Hart Lane will involve building the new stadium around the site of the current one without reducing capacity. A marathon task.

Phase I - The new stadium is built to the north, with the current stadium still in use.


Phase II - The old north stand is demolished and the new stadium has a new pitch laid


Phase III - The new stadium is opened up, with one stand still to be complete (where the overlap is located), but a higher capacity than the old ground


Phase IV - The final phase sees the old stadium demolished, new public spaces created and the final stand complete
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  #193  
Old Posted Nov 16, 2009, 2:49 PM
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London 2012 Velodrome

The roof supports continue to go up.






London 2012 Basketball Arena

Report by CABE (government advisor on architecture and urban design) sourced by DarJoLe.


Twelve thousand capacity temporary arena for the basketball competition and the Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Rugby competitions. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre.

Olympic Delivery Authority, http://www.cabe.org.uk/design-review...etball-arena-2
30 October 2009, Planning reference: 09/90275/AODODA



We reviewed the original planning application for this scheme on 30 January 2009.

We have now considered the additional information provided relating to the detailed design of the external membrane of the Basketball venue and make the following comments in respect of detail and the overall building.



We are happy to support the outcome of what has been a productive, iterative design process. Certainty as to use and re-use has helped focus on the necessary attributes of this very large temporary facility. We think, as proposed, the venue will be striking and that the final detail design of sculpted membrane panels is a considerable improvement on earlier versions.



We think the proposed LED lighting strategy in its current form would be acceptable although we would understand if other strategies, for example projection, were in the end employed. In respect of the fabric colour we think that projection would be better served by the lighter colour envisaged. We anticipate reviewing the final proposed lighting choice at the appropriate time.




London 2012 Aquatic Centre

London 2012 Aquatics Centre roof and dive pool complete
11 November 2009, http://www.london2012.com/news/media...l-complete.php

The wave-shaped Aquatics Centre roof has been successfully lifted and lowered into place completing what was one of the most complex engineering and construction challenges of the Olympic Park ‘big build’.



The 160m long sweeping roof frame of the Zaha Hadid designed Aquatics Centre, weighing over 3000 tonnes and resting on just three concrete supports, will be the gateway to the Olympic Park. In legacy the venue will provide two 50m swimming pools, a diving pool and dry diving area for community and elite use.



The roof steel was fabricated in Newport from plate rolled in Gateshead, Motherwell and Scunthorpe, assembled on the Aquatics Centre site and connected together 20m off the ground on temporary supports. The completed roof frame was then carefully lifted over 1m at one end and lowered into its permanent position with the temporary supports removed.



ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said:
'The Aquatics Centre is on track for completion in mid-2011 and the sweeping roof that will form the ‘Gateway to the Games’ is now a fixture in the skyline alongside the Olympic Stadium. The Aquatics Centre will be a new landmark building for east London and will offer elite and community swimming and diving facilities in legacy.

'Across the programme we are on schedule and within budget. However, we are not complacent. Our toughest year is ahead of us as the workforce and activity on site reaches a peak.'

London 2012 Organising Committee Chairman Sebastian Coe said:
'The Aquatics Centre is going to be a spectacular venue for the Games in 2012 and its unique roof will be a wonderful addition to the east London skyline. At Games-time, 17,500 excited spectators will be able to ‘raise the roof’ cheering on the swimmers, including our British medal hopefuls, and in legacy it will become a much-needed elite and community facility. We are making great progress – and are fully on track with this iconic gateway to the Olympic Park.'



Tessa Jowell, Olympic Minister, said:
'The wave-shaped roof of the Aquatics Centre is an iconic feature of the Olympic Park and one which will inspire thousands of elite athletes and keep-fitters during the Games and beyond. The construction of the roof has drawn on the skills and expertise of businesses in England, Scotland and Wales and now with the difficult technical manoeuvre needed to lift the roof into place complete, this is another success in the Park’s development.'

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said:
'Not only does the Aquatics Centre act as a benchmark for the amazing pace of delivery on the 2012 Games, but along with the Stadium, it also provides an early taste of the truly fantastic legacy that is already rising out of the Olympic Park.'



British Swimming Chief Executive David Sparkes said:
'The Aquatics Centre with its unique design will, I am sure, inspire all our athletes to work hard to not only compete in 2012 but to make the nation proud of the facility and athletes as they deliver medal winning performances. Bringing this magnificent building to life in 2012 will inspire Londoners to swim more and have great fun in the Aquatics Centre for years to come.'

Andrew Altman, Chief Executive of the Olympic Park Legacy Company which is responsible for the long term planning, management and maintenance of the Olympic Park and venues after the Games, said:
'The Aquatics Centre will be an iconic building and a thriving centre for community use in the Park after the Games. Its two 50m pools and a 25m diving pool will also offer elite swimmers a world class training facility.

'Its roof is set to become one of the most recognisable features of the Park.'



Raising the roof
In March 2009 the ‘big lift’ began of the 160m long and up to 90m wide roof which rests on two concrete supports at the northern end and a 28m long and 5m wide, supporting ‘wall’ at its southern end.

A huge 30m steel truss weighing over 70 tonnes was lifted into place on top of the southern wall and connected to ten steel trusses each made up of four sections which in total will span up to 120m to the two northern roof supports.

The steel trusses were fabricated in Newport from plate rolled in Gateshead, Motherwell and Scunthorpe, assembled on the Aquatics Centre site and connected together 20m off the ground on three rows of temporary support trestles.




Once the steel frame was complete it was lifted over a metre at its southern end, turning on rotating joints in the northern roof supports. The top of the temporary trestles was removed and the 160m long roof frame lowered on to its three permanent roof supports.

As the full weight of the roof rested on its supports is slid approximately 20cm into its joints on the southern wall. The roof has been designed to stretch, twist and contract in response to the effects of snow, wind and changing temperatures.

Temporary trestles, which have now all been removed, were taken out in phases to enable work to continue beneath the roof, including the digging out and concreting of the venue’s two 50 metre swimming pools and 25 metre diving pool.



Work will begin this autumn on the aluminium roof covering, half of which is recycled, and early next year installation will start on the timber cladding of the 12,000 metre squared ceiling which will sweep outside to cover the northern roof supports. Red Lauro from sustainable sources has been selected as the ceiling timber that will combine the required level of durability and visual impact.

Work is well underway on the 250m and 45m wide land bridge that forms the main pedestrian entrance to the Games from the Stratford City development, spanning the Aquatics Centre and forming the roof of the training pool.



Aquatics Centre factfile
- The Zaha Hadid designed Aquatics Centre is located in the south of the Olympic Park and will be the main ‘Gateway into the Games', hosting swimming, diving, synchronised swimming, water polo finals and the swimming discipline of the Modern Pentathlon
- The Aquatics Centre will have a capacity of 17,500 during the Games, reducing to a maximum of 2,500 in legacy, with the ability to add 1,000 for major events, and provide two 50m swimming pools, a diving pool and dry diving area - facilities London does not have at present
- Eleven industrial buildings have been demolished on the 55,000 m2 site.
- Around 160,000 tonnes of soil have been dug out on of what was one of the more challenging and complex areas of the Olympic Park, contaminated with pollutants including petrol, oil, tar, solvents and heavy metals such as arsenic and lead
- Four skeletons were discovered and removed from a prehistoric settlement discovered on the site of the Aquatic Centre.
- 140,000 tonnes of clean soil has been brought from other areas of the Olympic Park to prepare for construction to start.
- Balfour Beatty is building the Aquatics Centre and huge land-bridge that forms the roof of the training pool and the main pedestrian access to the Olympic Park. Construction work will be complete in 2011 for test events ahead of the Games.
- The river that runs alongside the venue has been widened by eight metre by building 550m of new river walls.
- The sweeping roof, which is 160m long and 80m at its widest point, is an innovative steel structure weighing over 3000 tonnes with a striking and robust aluminium covering, half of which is recycled, resting on three supports.
- Construction started on the foundations in July 2008. A 3,000 tonne concrete ‘bridge’ has been built spanning and protecting the tunnels which have been dug to run powerlines beneath the site. The 18.5m tall northwest roof support has been built on top of this base.
- Work is well underway on the 250m and 45m wide land bridge that forms the main ‘Gateway to the Games’ from the Stratford City development, spanning the Aquatics Centre and forming the roof of the training pool.
- Around 1,000m cubic metres of concrete has been poured to create five sets of bridge supports, steel beams have been lifted into place to form the first section of the bridge spanning railway lines and roadways. Work is now currently underway on the section of bridge that will form the training pool roof. The land bridge is on track to be complete before summer 2010. Fourteen steel beams, up to 60m long and weighing 75 tonnes each have been produced in Scunthorpe, fabricated in Bolton and lifted into place.







London 2012 Athletes Village

Structure of first Olympic Village building complete on eve of 1,000 days to go to 2012 Games
30 October 2009, http://www.london2012.com/news/media...00-days-to.php

The first of 11 residential plots in the Olympic Village has been structurally completed, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) announced today.

The Olympic Village, which lies adjacent to the Olympic Park and forms part of the Stratford City development, will accommodate a total of 23,000 athletes and officials from over 200 nations during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Seventy-three per cent of athletes will be able to reach their competition venue in under 15 minutes. After the Games, the Village will deliver the legacy of 2,800 new homes for east London across 11 residential plots. Construction work began on site in summer 2008 and the first residential plot, comprising nearly 300 new homes across 7 buildings, is now structurally complete.



The construction of the first residential plot has involved 160 workers and a total of seven cranes lifting into place more than 14,500 cubic metres of concrete to form the structural elements of the seven buildings. Work is now underway on the external cladding of the buildings, allowing work on the internal fit-out of the buildings to begin next year. The external cladding panels for the building are now being lifted into place with the heaviest panels weighing up to six tonnes.

A topping-out ceremony on the first structurally complete Village buildings was carried out today by, ODA Director of Property Ralph Luck, Chief Executive of the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) Paul Deighton, CEO of Lend Lease Europe Dan Labbad and Mayor of Newham Council Sir Robin Wales and directors of Triathlon Homes.



ODA Director of Property Ralph Luck: 'In 1,000 days time the world’s best athletes will have arrived at the Olympic Village, and with the structural completion of the first buildings we are on track to deliver a first-class Village to help them prepare for the world’s biggest sporting event. The Olympic Village will be one of the strongest legacies from the Games and the completion of these buildings also gives us an exciting glimpse of the quality new homes we are delivering for Londoners together with new parks, public squares and community facilities.'



Paul Deighton, Chief Executive of the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) said: 'Sport is at the heart of the Games and therefore athletes’ needs are very important to us. We want to make sure that they are in a comfortable, relaxed and well-organised environment so that they can prepare for one of the biggest sporting moments of their lives.'

Mayor of Newham Council Sir Robin Wales said: 'We want the Games to inspire local people to lead healthier and more active and prosperous lives. The Olympics must bring long-lasting and positive changes for the residents of the borough. One of my key priorities is to ensure the local community will benefit from the venues, parklands and other facilities once the Games are over. The housing offer is crucial to this – the most successful communities are those mixed by class, ethnicity and tenure and this is what we are looking forward to seeing in the Village.'



Dan Labbad, CEO of Lend Lease Europe, the development and construction manager for the Village, said: 'We’re delighted to be revealing the first complete structures of the Village, demonstrating the substantial progress being made on site. We remain committed to delivering a world class development of high architectural quality, both as a home for athletes in 2012 and as an iconic sustainable community beyond.'

Of the new homes on the first structurally completed residential plot, 193 have already been pre-sold to Triathlon Homes, the joint venture company delivering affordable housing at the Village. They are among 1,379 affordable homes that will be offered at the Village through a variety of renting and home ownership options.



Geoff Pearce, director of Triathlon Homes, said: 'This is a real landmark in the development of nearly 1,400 affordable homes at the Olympic Village, helping to meet housing need in east London and contributing to the wider regeneration of the area. We’re very proud to be delivering a variety of affordable homes in a fantastic setting as part of this prestigious development.'

The 11 residential plots in the Olympic Village are each made up of six to eight buildings built in a rectangular layout around a traditional courtyard area. Along with the structural completion of the first residential plot, construction work is also underway on the remaining 10 residential plots. Earthworks are also underway on the site of Chobham Academy - a world-class education campus to be built within the Olympic Village with spaces for 1,800 students aged 3-19.



After 2012, the Village will leave a lasting legacy for east London including:
- 2,818 new homes in legacy including 1,379 affordable homes;
- Family housing with nearly 1,000 three and four bed homes.
- Courtyard areas with gardens, play areas and open space;
- More than 10 hectares of new parks and open space;
- New public squares, tree-lined streets, and landscaped courtyards.
- Multi-use community facilities;
- A world-class education campus, Chobham Academy, with 1,800 places for students aged 3-19.



Triathlon Homes (a joint venture company established by First Base and housing associations Southern Housing Group and East Thames Group) have purchased 1,379 of the new homes in the Olympic Village which will become available as affordable housing after 2012. The aim is to create affordable, high quality homes for local people which are intrinsic to the regeneration of the area and to ensure a successful legacy for Stratford and the wider East London community after the Games. Article source by DarJoLe.




London 2012 Olympic Park

Picture sourced by RobH at SSC, and taken by Frans Zwart at flickr of an aerial of the Olympic Park.

The 'wave' of the Aquatic Centre and the bowl of the Olympic Stadium are clearly visible. The Broadcasting Centre (pretty much a large temporary warehouse) is to the left, the Velodrome is visible above the BC. To the right of the Velodrome is the Athletes' Village, and to the right of that Westfield Stratford (large shopping centre).

The line seperating the Athletes Village and Westfield Stratford is the trench that houses Stratford International station (tunnels at either end to C London and Paris). So despite losing the bid to host the 2012 Olympics, they'll be a 2hr train ride away.

Stratford Regional Station is to the right of Westfield Stratford; home to 2 Underground lines, 1 DLR line, North London Line, Great Eastern Main Line commuter and intercity services, and a line to London Stansted Airport. Come next year another DLR line will open, and in 2017, Crossrail will arrive.

The canals and rivers that wind their way through the future-Olympic Park are part of the Lower River Lea.

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  #194  
Old Posted Nov 20, 2009, 10:02 PM
Patachou Patachou is offline
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magnificent. What a show it's going to be!!!
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  #195  
Old Posted Dec 16, 2009, 3:07 PM
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2012 Olympic Stadium

The roof for the Olympic Stadium has now been raised into place. Work on the roof cover will start next Spring. Next year will mark the peak in activity across the entire Olympic Park, and the entire project is ahead of schedule.

Internal pics sourced by DarJoLe at SSC. Aerials sourced by Gherkin.











From the aerials it is possible to see quite clearly how the stadium is actually on an 'island' and that several bridges are required to allow for spectators to reach the 'island'










Olympic Velodrome

Pic sourced by DarJoLe, taken by andywilkes at flickr.






Olympic Handball Arena

Big build of Handball Arena starts early as work underway on all Olympic Park venues
http://www.london2012.com/news/media...lympic-par.php
20 July 2009

The start of construction on the Handball Arena two months early marked the moment the ‘big build’ got underway on all new permanent venues for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

During the Games the distinctive copper-clad Handball Arena will host qualifying games for the Handball competition as well as Modern Pentathlon Fencing and Goalball during the Paralympic Games.

After the Games, the sustainable and distinctive Arena will become a multi-sports venue with retractable seating for around 6,000 spectators and flexible facilities catering for training and competition at all levels. It can cater for a wide-range of indoor sports including Basketball, Wheelchair Basketball, Boxing, Handball, Badminton, Judo, Netball, Futsal and Volleyball, boosting the legacy sporting facilities provided across the Olympic Park.



Construction is now underway on the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Olympic Village, IBC/MPC, Velodrome as well as roads, bridges and infrastructure right across the Olympic Park. The sailing facilities at Weymouth and Portland were completed last year and work recently started on the White Water Canoe Centre in Broxbourne.



Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt said: 'The "big build" is on track and the permanent venues that will host a fantastic festival in 2012 and provide a sporting legacy for elite athletes and communities are taking shape. The vibrant Handball Arena will provide a great experience for competitors and spectators during the Games and offer a new sustainable and flexible facility for local people to enjoy a wide range of sports in legacy'

Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee Sebastian Coe said: 'This is another example of the Games acting as a catalyst for change. This facility will be a high-quality venue at Games time but also provides a legacy for sport in London and the UK. The fact that Handball will have its own arena at Games-time will be a great boost to the sport in this country, and it will be a much used multi-purpose arena after the Games. It is fantastic to see construction underway at the Arena and on all the venues in the Olympic Park.'



The London Development Agency (LDA) has been leading on the legacy planning for the Handball Arena. This work, which also includes ongoing discussions with National Governing Bodies for Sport and other sporting bodies, will be taken forward by the new Olympic Park Legacy Company which is due to take over legacy planning later this year.



Chief Executive of the London Development Agency Peter Rogers said: 'The Arena will be a major community resource in legacy. With the equivalent space of 12 badminton courts and retractable seating, the venue has been designed for all levels of sports participation and has the potential to accommodate cultural, entertainment and business events.



'We are delighted to have reached this milestone and look forward to a smooth transition of the project over to the Olympic Park Legacy Company.'

Jules Pipe, elected Mayor of Hackney, said: 'The new multi-sports venue in Hackney is a great opportunity to offer local residents access to world-class facilities to take part in a wide range of sports, as part of the legacy of the 2012 Games. The Council will continue its work to offer all our residents further opportunities to enjoy healthy lifestyles through sport and physical activity.'



Handball Arena factfile
- Over the coming months around 200 piles will be driven 25 metres into the ground to form the foundations for the venue on track to start coming out of the ground in the Autumn and be completed by summer 2011 ready for test events.
- The venue features over 3,000 sq m of external copper cladding, mostly recycled, to give it a distinctive appearance that will develop a rich natural colour as it ages.
- Over 700 sq m of glazing which encircles the building at concourse level will enable visitors to the Olympic Park to view sport taking place inside, and illuminating the venue when lit at night.
- The venue also has retractable seating to create a flexible legacy space and 100 light pipes in the ceiling to allow natural light into the venue. Rainwater harvesting from the roof for toilet flushing, will help to reduce water use by 40 per cent
- In legacy mode the venue will include a health and fitness club with changing facilities and a café for use by the local community
- In legacy mode, the venue offers a 2,743 sq m field of play hosting sports including: 5-a-side football; Netball; Boxing; Basketball; Volleyball; Badminton; Table Tennis; Handball; and Futsal
- The venue could also host in legacy: Hockey; Martial arts; Kabaddi; Dodgeball; Wheelchair Basketball; Fencing; Sitting Volleyball; Goalball; Wheelchair Rugby, Wrestling, Weightlifting, Taekwondo, Table Tennis, Judo and Fencing.


Article and images sourced by DarJoLe at SSC.




Olympic Park: Going Green






International Broadcast & Press Centre

London 2012 Main Press Centre takes shape
19 November 2009
http://www.london2012.com/news/media...akes-shape.php

The Olympic Delivery Authority issued new images today showing the London 2012 Main Press Centre (MPC) taking shape alongside the huge International Broadcast Centre (IBC).



Together the IBC/MPC will support around 20,000 broadcasters, photographers and journalists communicating the Games to an audience of four billion people worldwide. In legacy the facilities will create just under 900,000 square feet of sustainable business space with the potential to generate thousands of new jobs.



The venue is being delivered on track by a team of companies from across the UK. The concrete foundations of the IBC/MPC were built by a company from 2012 Host Borough Greenwich and 4,500 tonnes of steel was fabricated for the huge IBC frame in North Yorkshire and produced in Scunthorpe and Teesside.

Around15,000sq m of wall and 26,000sq m of roof covering for the IBC were installed by a north-east based firm using cladding manufactured in Wales. A Teddington company is currently pouring over 30,000 tonnes of concrete to create the frame of the MPC and lifting 30,000sq m of concrete slabs and 300 concrete columns to create the multi-storey car park.



The MPC ‘big build’ can we viewed first-hand through a new webcam that went live today at: http://www.london2012.com/plans/olym...ess-centre.php

Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt said: 'The "big build" is on track as we enter our toughest year with work accelerating on infrastructure and venues across the Olympic Park.



'The IBC/MPC is taking shape due to the hard work of companies from across the UK and we’re on schedule to provide a quality working environment for media during the Games and flexible employment space for a range of potential legacy tenants and users.'

Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee said: 'These images show the progress we are making in delivering the best possible working environment for the 20,000 members of the world’s broadcasters, press and photographers in the summer of 2012.



'Billions of people around the world rely on the international media to relay the stories of human endeavour on the field of play and capture the atmosphere across the country during the Games. The impressive facilities we have planned will give us the best possible foundations for telling all the stories from the London 2012 Games whilst leaving high performance workspace in legacy for the east of London.'

Tessa Jowell, Minister for the Olympics, said: 'The Main Press Centre is a prime example of how the Games are benefiting the whole of the UK in the run-up to 2012, while also creating a new future hub for London’s growing digital and creative economies.



'The MPC and International Broadcast Centre is being delivered by a team of companies from across the UK, including businesses in Wolverhampton, Scunthorpe and Teeside.

'These state-of-the-art media facilities will ensure the Games reach an audience of four billion people worldwide and, as the largest venue on the Olympic Park, they will provide a significant legacy to the growing digital sector.'

Elected Mayor of Hackney Jules Pipe said: 'The International Broadcast Centre and Main Press Centre for 2012 in Hackney will provide permanent employment space after the Games, allowing the digital, creative and media industries the space they need to expand and creating high quality jobs. The progress on the MPC is the next step in the journey towards a vital economic legacy for Hackney and east London.'



Andrew Altman, Chief Executive of the Olympic Park Legacy Company, said: 'The media centre will become a major employment site after the Games.

'The buildings have been designed with flexibility in mind and can meet the needs of tenants by being split into different configurations depending on the requirements of market demand.'

Big Build: IBC/MPC
The IBC/MPC combines an innovative mixture of permanent and temporary elements during the Games and has been designed to be as flexible as possible to accommodate a range of potential legacy tenants and uses.

The MPC includes:
29,000sq m of green office space by the River Lea Navigation, providing four storeys of workspace for journalists and photographers during the Games.

Innovatively designed flexibility that enables the building to be adapted in legacy for either a single tenant in the whole building or on each floor, as well as multiple tenants on each floor.

A connected single strip of single storey buildings facing the canal that can be separated into ‘mews’ accommodation in legacy offering another type of quality business space in legacy.

New utilities, power and digital connectivity during the Games and in legacy.

Innovations designed to meet demanding green building standards in legacy including a 2,500sq m ‘brown roof’ of gravel and moss to encourage invertebrates; 60 per cent of non-drinking water to be collected from across the Olympic Park; habitats including over 100 bird and bat boxes

The IBC includes:
Around 52,000sq m of studio space over two 8-10m high floors during the Games with a temporary gantry running along the 275m long, 104m wide building for technical equipment.

8,000sq m of offices over five floors at the front of the building.

The flexibility in legacy to be separated into a number of units and for design features to be altered such as cladding replaced with windows
Temporary Games time elements, most of which reduce the Games and legacy transformation costs, include:

A 12,000sq m catering village serving 50,000 meals a day 24 hours.

A 200 metre-long High Street between the MPC and IBC featuring outlets such as banks, newsagents, travel agents and a post office.

A temporary Media Conference room between the IBC and MPC for up to 800 journalists.

A Media Transport Mall providing coach drop-off and car parking, accreditation and security screening during the Games will be halved in legacy to provide car parking spaces to legacy tenants alongside walking, cycling and public transport connections.

The Olympic Park Legacy Company is responsible for the long term development planning, management and maintenance of the Olympic Park Site, including the Main Press Centre and the International Broadcast Centre, after the 2012 Games.






Article and images sourced by DarJoLe at SSC.

Not exactly pretty, but unfortunately the IBC/MPC appears to be the least looked at item for all past Olympic Games - London is sadly no different!
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  #196  
Old Posted Dec 22, 2009, 4:36 PM
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Great, great thread Nick (I'm RobH on SSC as well btw)

One small thing, could you please stop writing Tottenham Hotspurs. It's Tottenham Hotspur.

Sorry to be pedantic, but it irks with me seeing it referred to wrongly.
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  #197  
Old Posted Jan 5, 2010, 1:33 PM
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Aerial of the site:


Frans Zwart, www.flickr.com

Key

http://i.thisislondon.co.uk


top left
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  #198  
Old Posted Jan 18, 2010, 2:51 AM
Tex17 Tex17 is offline
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Please get those godforsaken rogue apostrophes out of the thread title!
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  #199  
Old Posted Jan 31, 2010, 1:12 PM
nito nito is offline
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London 2012 Velodrome
28 Jan 2010, london2012.com

Work has been completed on the steel structure of the London 2012 Velodrome, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) announced today, keeping it on track to be the first venue to be completed in the Olympic Park in early 2011.

Cycling facility on track to be first Olympic Park venue finished.



The 6,000 seat Velodrome will host the Olympic and Paralympic track cycling events in 2012. After the Games, the legacy Velodrome will be used by elite athletes and the local community and will include a café, bike hire and cycle workshop facilities.

Construction work started on the Velodrome in March 2009, making it one of the last of the ‘big five’ Olympic Park venues to get underway, but with the Velodrome steel structure complete and work now underway to install the distinctive double-curved cable-net roof, the venue is on track for completion in early 2011 to make it the first Olympic Park venue to be completed.

The Velodrome site was visited this week by British cyclist Jamie Staff, gold medallist in the Team Sprint event at the Beijing 2008 Games. A video blog of Jamie Staff’s visit can be viewed at london2012.com. The latest Velodrome images can be downloaded from http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePat...av=pr132721722



Jamie Staff said: 'It was great to visit the London 2012 Velodrome site and I was hugely impressed by the progress being made. It was good to see at first hand how the venue is being designed and built to create a great crowd atmosphere and deliver the best possible conditions for track cyclists and I’m sure this will be a perfect venue for Team GB to continue to hit gold in 2012.'

ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said: 'The completion of the Velodrome steel structure gives us an exciting glimpse of what will not only be a world-class venue for the Games and legacy, but another striking piece of architecture for the Olympic Park.

'The Olympic Stadium and Aquatics Centre are already firm fixtures on the east London skyline but the Velodrome taking shape has created a new focal point in the north of the Olympic Park. This year will be the toughest so far across the site, and we now turn our attentions to the lifting of the huge cable-net roof of the Velodrome, a key engineering challenge which will help crown this spectacular venue.'

Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG), said: 'It is very exciting to see the Velodrome taking shape. It will enhance cycling facilities within the UK and adds another world-class Velodrome to the country for use in the south east and London. This is an example of hosting the Games leading to the provision of more sports facilities for elite and community usage.



'LOCOG as an organisation has worked alongside the ODA in designing the venue and we are looking forward to the opportunity of using such a thrilling venue to stage one of Britain's favourite sports and winning more British medals.”

Shaun Dawson, Chief Executive of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority who will own, fund and manage the Velodrome in legacy, said: 'While the construction work has been racing ahead, we’ve been working closely with our partners to develop a legacy programme that will enable everyone from schoolchildren to local clubs to elite cyclists to get the most from this stunning building.

'As the owners, funders and managers of the whole VeloPark in legacy we’ll make sure this first rate centre will be truly world class, welcoming cyclists of all levels and disciplines to train, race or just simply cycle for fun. It will be an integral part of the chain of sporting excellence we are creating through the 26 mile long, 10,000-acre Lee Valley Regional Park.'



The Velodrome is being constructed by contractors ISG and more than 2,500 sections of steelwork were installed to complete the steel structure of the venue. The steelwork sections rise in height by 12m from the shallowest point to the highest part of the structure, helping form the distinct double-curved roof structure which has been designed to reflect the geometry of the cycling track. Bolton-based company Watsons Steel supplied the fabricated steel for the Velodrome structure in a deal worth over £3m.

With the Velodrome steel structure complete, work is now underway to install the venue roof in what is one of the largest cable-net roof lifts in the UK, using some 16km of cable. The Velodrome is one of the most sustainable venues in the Olympic Park and the lightweight cable-net roof structure will only weigh 30kg per sq m, roughly half that of any other covered Velodrome, helping create a highly-efficient building.

The cable-net roof is due to be completed in the spring when work will then begin to cover the roof and install the outer cladding of the venue. The Velodrome structure is due to be watertight by the summer, allowing work to install the timber cycling track to begin in the autumn. The venue is due to be completed in early 2011.



After the Games, a road cycle circuit and mountain bike course will be added to the Velodrome and BMX Circuit to create a legacy VeloPark that will combine cycling facilities across all disciplines in one cycling ‘hub’.

The legacy VeloPark will be owned, funded and managed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. The construction of the VeloPark facilities includes funding from LOCOG, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA), Sport England, Transport for London (TfL), and the London Marathon Charitable Trust (LMCT).



Velodrome facilities:
- 250m UCI (International Cycling Union) approved indoor track and 100m warm-up circuit
- 6,000 seats and 360 degree public concourse in legacy for viewing all cycling activities
- Legacy café, changing rooms, cycle workshop, gym, and storage for over 300 bikes
- Legacy bike hire outlet for families to hire bikes to use the new cycling facilities
- Venue will be linked into cycle routes across London, linking the new venue with the whole of the capital.

Velodrome design:
- Distinct Velodrome roof designed to reflect the geometry of the cycling track
- The 6,000 seats are split into a lower and upper tier, allowing a 360 degrees concourse level in between with a continuous ribbon of full height windows
- The 360 degree glazed concourse level in legacy will offer spectators inside the Velodrome views out onto the rest of the Olympic Park and across the London skyline, while allowing people outside of the Velodrome views into the venue and down onto the cycling track
- The Velodrome designers are working closely with track designers to tailor the track geometry and set the temperature and environmental conditions within the venue with the aim of creating a record-breaking track
- The venue is being designed to create the best possible crowd atmosphere in the 6,000 capacity venue to help maximise the performance of cyclists and aim to give Team GB a home advantage in 2012.

Construction:
- Some 48,000 cubic metres of material was excavated to create the bowl for the Velodrome, enough to fill 19 50m swimming pools- More than 900 piles were driven up to 26m beneath the ground to complete the foundations of the venue
- More than 2,500 sections of steelwork were installed to complete the steel structure of the Velodrome
- More than 100 workers are on the Velodrome site.

Sustainability elements:
- The building has been designed to be lightweight and efficient to reflect the efficient design of a bicycle
- Use of abundant daylight through strategically positioned rooflights reduces need for artificial lighting and allows natural ventilation
- Water saving fittings built into design to allow collection of rainwater for reuse in building, helping reduce water consumption
- Lightweight cable-net roof structure weighs 30kg/m2 compared to 65kg/m2 for the Beijing Velodrome, helping create a highly efficient building






London 2012 Webcams

The London 2012 website has several webcams covering the construction sites from different angles. Of interest is a feature that allows you to not just see the progress over the last few months, but the ability to choose what time of the day (ie you can view the progress at mid-day or at night over several months).

http://www.london2012.com/webcams/
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  #200  
Old Posted Mar 1, 2010, 4:36 AM
eMKay eMKay is offline
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Looking good London, the aquatics center in particular is going to be an amazing building.
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