Olympic Stadium Update
Top team chosen to design Olympic Park
Media Release 24/01/2006:
http://www.london2012.org/en/news/pr...1-24-10-13.htm
David Higgins, chief executive-designate of the Olympic Delivery Authority, today announced the winning team chosen to design the Olympic Park and its associated infrastructure.
The announcement was made at today's inaugural 2012 Business Summit, organised by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport at Cabot Hall, Canary Wharf.
The team, chosen through a competitive tendering process, brings to the project an outstanding range of talent in areas including architecture, landscape design and engineering. They will play a key role in turning London's Olympic vision into reality, as well as setting the framework for the regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley in East London.
The EDAW consortium, together with Arup and Atkins will form an integrated team to develop the design.
The EDAW consortium, which produced the award-winning masterplan that helped London win the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, comprises: EDAW PLC, Buro Happold, Foreign Office Architects, HOK Sport, and Allies & Morrison.
The team, led by Jason Prior, Principal of EDAW, will work with the Interim Olympic Delivery Authority to further develop the Olympic Park masterplan and begin to design all the infrastructure elements that will make up the Park including utilities, waterways, drainage, landscape, roads and bridges.
The plans currently have outline planning permission, granted on 1 October 2004, and further detailed planning applications will be required.
The team will not design the Olympic venues or Athletes' Village, which will be tendered separately.
David Higgins, Chief executive-designate of the Olympic Delivery Authority, said: 'I am delighted to announce this appointment. I've only been in post a short time and I appreciate the work of the Interim ODA and London Development Agency team that managed the appointment process. It means I can get to grips with the critical priorities straight away.
'Getting the site infrastructure and landscape right is a key task for the Olympic Delivery Authority over the next two years. It is not only critical for the Games but also to frame one of the most significant regeneration legacies for a generation.
'This will create a major new Park for London that after the Games will become a new quarter of the capital for Londoners to live, work and play.'
Jason Prior, Principal, EDAW, said: 'The plans that we worked so hard to put together for the bid are now going to be taken forward. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any landscape architect and I am absolutely thrilled.'
Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) said: "This is an exciting announcement and I look forward to working with the EDAW consortium.
This project, which demonstrates that we are on course with the delivery of our plans, is all about creating an attractive environment for the centrepiece of the Games, which will be fully accessible for the community of East London for generations to come."
Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said: 'One of the main reasons I backed London's bid for the Games was because of the enormous regeneration and legacy it will bring to London.
'The EDAW team that did such a fantastic job during the bid will also bring truly world-class design to the Lower Lea Valley that will inspire the wider development of East London. This appointment is critical in helping us shape the long-term legacy of the London Games.'
Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said: '200 days on from Singapore and again we are delivering. This contract is a vital part of the planning of the Olympic Park and I look forward to seeing the innovative designs and engineering concepts from EDAW and their partners. The Games are already starting to become a reality.'
In the following pictures you might notice some tall buildings: this is the Stratford City development.
After the Games: