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Design for Olympic stadium backed by watchdog

Catherine Deshayes

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment and Design for London today backed the design of the stadium for the London 2012 Olympics.

The Government watchdog said the stadium, designed by architect HOK, was a ‘simple, elegant and efficient idea for a temporary Olympic stadium with a permanent facility that will become part of the Legacy Park long after the Games are over'.

The innovative Olympic Stadium design allows for an 80,000 seat Athletics stadium to be converted into a more easily maintained 25,000 seat venue after the Games.

The Olympic Stadium will be at the south of the Olympic Park on an island site surrounded on three sides by waterways, within easy walking distance of the Olympic Village and warm-up facilities.

Construction officially started on the Stadium on 22nd May this year. Prime Minister Gordon Brown was on site to see the work begin and meet the workers.

Over the next few years over a thousand workers will help build the venue. The building's foundations are due to be completed this month (August 2008).

It said the original proposal for a floating horizontal wrap had now been superseded by a ‘wall' of vertical banners. CABE and Design for London said they want to ensure that this highly visible element of the Olympic venue is striking and backed the Olympic Delivery Authority's plans to involve an artist in creating its design.

CABE and Design for London said there are still aspects of the design that remain unresolved at this stage including the proposed temporary ‘pods' and public space areas around the stadium.

They said, "This raises serious questions about how and when these elements will be addressed, and by whom, since they are not the responsibility of the stadium design team.

CABE and Design for London stress that the surrounding landscape must not detract from the stadium and visitors' enjoyment of it."

Chair of the London 2012 design review panel, Paul Finch, said, "We think the idea is smart and appropriate and that the stadium will be a spectacular feature of the 2012 Games."

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