The single consistent theme between all the different venues designed by London's Olympic Committee for the 2012 Games is the focus on developing a lasting legacy. London thus far has invested heavily in the venues for 2012 with "design, innovation, and creativity lie[ing] at the heart of the project" (pg. 3). First, the Olympic Stadium has been designed with a 25,000 base section with a removable 55,000 temporary section on top, which will be removed after the Games. This stadium is obviously the most important for London and the Olympics, and has been strategically designed as a sunken bowl in order to get the fans closer to the action and create a more personable atmosphere.
Next, the Velodrome, which will host the track and field events, is a 6,000 seat stadium shaped uniquely like a "pringle". The building's design reflects that of an actual cycling track, and therefore has a lightweight roof with a curving cable net structure. A key lasting component of the Velodrome is its environmental sustainability. Because of strategically placed roof lights, the Velodrome will have more access to natural light, thus reducing its dependency on artificial lighting. Also, the Olympic committee has ambitions to make the Velodrome into the "cycling hub" of London following the conclusion of the Games by adding another road cycle circuit. Organizers hope these additions will encourage the overall theme of promoting physical activity and well being for everyone in London.
Perhaps the most simple of the Olympic venues, the Handball Arena has been designed with a glazed concourse area to enable fans to have a complete view of both Olympic Park and the action within. Furthermore, retractible seats and 100 light pipes promoting natural light and circulation gives organizers many options looking into the future regarding the use of this simple building.
Swimming and diving has been one of the most important events in the most recent Olympic Games, and London clearly desires to provide a state of the art center for the 2012 Games. Featuring a wavelike roof, the Aquatic Center hopes to be an iconic image for the Olympics as it serves as the "gateway" into London's Olympic Park. Following the Games, the Aquatic Center will serve as a community swimming center equipped with two fifty meter pools as well as a full diving pool.
The most important feature of the Basketball Arena designed by London's organzing committee is the fact that it can pretty much be entirely torn down and recycled. London is focused on having every venue serve a unique purpose following the Games and will only keep the venue up if it is consistent with the goal of securing a long term legacy. Therefore, the Basketball Arena, which oddly will not even host the semifinals and finals of the basketball section, will benefit other parts of the UK because its nearly 17,000 person capacity stadium will be stripped for its raw materials and reused around the country.
The International Broadcast Center will serve as the home of the twenty odd thousand broadcasters, journalists, and photographers. The Center's design is very environmentally friendly; it will use recycled non-drinking water (who knows what for) and has a brown roof. This building, because of its sheer size and flexibility, will provide organizers with a full range of potential legacy options and goals following the Games.
One of the most important legacies of the 2012 London Games will be the Olympic Village. Already, the Olympic Village will provide over 3,000 new homes, community centers, and parks, which will increase consumer activity and social mobility in a previously slow economic area of East London. The Olympic Village has been designed to create a unique relationship between the buildings and the streets, allowing for communal gardens at the heart of each block, making the whole overall setting more aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, because the new Olympic Village is essentially like creating a whole new neighborhood, there will be an influx in shops, restaurants, leisure facilities, and open spaces. However, the most important legacy of the Olympic Village will be the Chobham Academy, which will be a new world class educational facility.
In Olympic Park, the Greenway will serve as the street running across the south end connecting West Ham and the Park. This walkway will act as one of the main pedestrian centers during the Olympics and will possess numerous sustainable features such as recycled lampposts, gates, and benches. Furthermore, more industrial land is being transformed into a network of much needed parklands in London. With a riverbank in the center, the parklands will give London much needed greenery and open air space equipped with long green lawns and footpaths. Furthermore, during the actual Games, London plans to have screens playing live events for people to watch while enjoying a leisurely day in the park. As a legacy, the south end of the park will hope to continue the festival atmosphere of the Games while the north end will play host to wetlands and bio-diverse habitats for endangered species. Last, more than thirty bridges of varying design will be built which will leave the legacy of turning one of the least accessible parts of London into an easily travelled space.
London also plans to build a new Energy Center, Primary Substation, and Pumping Station, ensuring every aspect of the Games is run efficiently. At the core of the legacy London hopes to leave is the idea of accessibility and community. Officials have emphasized inclusive designs in all of their venues in order to create the best fan environment. This also includes making the venues very handicap accessible, as well.
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