London Olympic Stadium Construction Underway

ODA chair John Armitt discusses the Olympic Stadium project with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, LOCOG chair Sebastian Coe and London Mayor Boris Johnson (London 2012)(ATR) Construction on the 80,000-seat centerpiece of the 2012 Olympics began Thursday with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and an audience from the IOC to witness the milestone.

The head of the IOC Coordination Commission for London hails the design concept as a blueprint for future Olympic stadia.

"Personally I am impressed by the concept," Denis Oswald said in his closing remarks at the end of the IOC's annual check-up of London's Olympic preparations.

"This stadium is for athletics and we know by experience that after the Games it is difficult to get 60,000 or 80,000 people. So I think it's very reasonable to reduce the size to what is proposed and to save on the maintenance and maximize use of it.

"It's maybe an example for the future, depending on the local conditions. I think for London it's an excellent choice."

The $1 billion stadium will have 55,000 demountable seats, a concept that has never before been attempted in Olympic stadia design. After the Games, it will be downsized to 25,000 and converted to a multipurpose athletics venue.

Oswald's comments came after he attended the groundbreaking ceremony Thursday morning, hours before he awarded top marks to Olympic organizers for their progress on the 2012 project. IOC commission chair Denis Oswald (far left) witnesses the start of stadium construction at the Olympic Park with other dignatories including Gordon Brown and Olympics minister Tessa Jowell (London 2012)

He joined British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, London Mayor Boris Johnson and London 2012 officials to witness the start of work to create the permanent foundations for the venue. Work is beginning three months ahead of schedule.

Construction contractor Sir Robert McAlpine is part of the Team Stadium consortium, which includes architects HOK Sport and structural engineer Buro Happold.

Around 4,000 concrete columns will be inserted into the ground in the first phase of construction. Floor slabs go down to create the base of the stadium bowl and the lower tier structures through the autumn and winter. The columns that support the pedestrian concourse level will also be built.

Early next year, the erection of steel structures that will support the stadium roof will begin to rise. The stadium is due for completion in 2011.

"People will be able to see with their own eyes a stadium which is designed to be different – an innovative and sustainable design which uses temporary elements to meet a complex brief – a stadium built for both Games and legacy," said Olympic Delivery Authority chair John Armitt.

The design concept for the showpiece venue of the 2.5-square km Olympic Park in east London garnered mixed reactions when it was unveiled in November.

Following Beijing's iconic Bird's Nest, critics claimed the design lacked imagination – it was dubbed the "fruit bowl" by some. But supporters trumpeted the fact that it was devised with legacy in mind.

While it may lack flair, the venue downsizing idea fits with London's promise to be the greenest Games on record.

"No one can say we've compromised on design, compromised on sustainability or compromised on the legacy potential," said Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell at the stadium design announcement.

A sunken bowl will be built into the ground for the field of play and lower permanent seating, designed to bring spectators close to the action. A fabric curtain will wrap around the stadium, with catering and merchandising facilities grouped into self-contained ‘pod' structures around the arena's access level.

Last October, the ODA revealed that the project cost had increased from the bid book figure of $460 million to $1 billion as inflation, VAT and earthworks costs had Olympics minister Tessa Jowell and the IOC's Denis Oswald examine a model of the Olympic Stadium design. (London 2012)not been factored in.

The ODA is hopeful there will be no additional hike in building costs, although there is contingency funding built into the $19 billion overall Games budget to cover any increases.

Olympic organizers are currently searching for permanent football and rugby tenants to complement athletics events and community use at the venue and provide a sustainable legacy from 2013 onwards

London Development Agency officials confirm that talks are taking place with several rugby teams, football team Leyton Orient and the Rugby Football League. Discussions are also being held with UK Athletics on how to maximize the opportunities post-2012.

KCAP Architects & Planners, Allies & Morrison and EDAW are the master planners for the Olympic site and will deliver the Legacy Masterplan Framework next year. Some legacy proposals for the Olympic Park and its environs will be put out to public consultation from this summer onwards.

Olympic Stadium facts:

- Over 1,000 construction workers will be based on the stadium site

- 33 buildings on the stadium site were demolished

- Over 800,000 tons of soil was excavated to help create the construction platform for the venue - enough to fill the Royal Albert Hall nine times over

- The stadium is highly sustainable, containing around 10,000 tons of steel - the lightest Olympic Stadium to date

- The total stadium island site covers an area of 40 acres – five times the size of the Houses of Parliament

- it will be 53m high - taller than Nelson's Column (50m)

- The stadium roof covers an area of 24,500 sq meters - the equivalent to three-and-a-half football pitches

With reporting from Mark Bisson.

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