Olympic Stadium construction complete
The final surface of the running track will be laid later this year by LOCOG. This is to ensure it is protected during the programme of temporary overlay including work for ceremonies which may need cranes in the field of play and could damage the track.
The turf has been grown in Scunthorpe from a special blend of Perennial Rye Grass, Smooth Stalk Meadow Grass and Fescue Grass seeds. A total of 360 rolls of turf were required to cover the 9,000m² infield area.
New aerial and on-the-ground images of the Stadium, plus images of John Armitt, Seb Coe and Frankie Fredericks laying the last piece of turf can be downloaded here: http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr149369442
Images from site preparation through to construction completion can be downloaded here: http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr149370091
ODA chairman John Armitt said: 'The Olympic Stadium has been finished on time and under budget. To complete a complicated project such as this in less than three years is testament to the skill and professionalism of the UK construction industry. I would like to thank the Team Stadium consortium and all of the workers for their hard work and commitment. It is thanks to them that we can today celebrate this huge milestone for the London 2012 project and be proud of what can be achieved by UK plc.'
LOCOG Chair Sebastian Coe said: 'The Olympic Stadium will be the beating heart of the new Olympic Park and it is testament to the fantastic work put in by Team Stadium and the ODA that construction is complete on time and within budget. However there is still much to do. We now come in and do some work in preparation for our ceremonies, to dress the stadium to ensure it has a London 2012 feel throughout and of course, the final touch – to lay the track. By summer, the Stadium will be a working venue ready to host a test event before it becomes the centre piece of next summer’s Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.'
Chairman of the IOC Athletes’ Commission and Olympian Frank Fredericks said: 'Athletes that have spent a lifetime training for their Olympic dream deserve to be able to achieve it in the best possible conditions. I believe that those competing here in 2012 will not be disappointed. I would like to congratulate everyone involved in the construction of London’s Olympic Stadium for producing a truly outstanding sporting arena. When filled with fans at Games time, I am certain that the atmosphere will drive many of the competitors to achieve new personal bests and create unique moments of Olympic history.'
Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt said: 'The Olympic Stadium is the stunning centrepiece of the Olympic Park. Hundreds of businesses from across the UK have been involved in its creation, and I would like to thank all those who have played their part. This is another landmark day for the London 2012 project and shows that Britain is at the forefront of the construction world.'
IOC Coordination Commission Chairman Denis Oswald said: 'What a fantastic stadium. As host of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, this arena will provide the first and last memories that many people will have of London’s Games and I have no doubt that it will provide the perfect stage. When the athletes see what has been created here, I am sure that they too will be inspired to reach new heights in their sport. Congratulations to all of those involved in creating this unique and spectacular theatre.'
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'This is yet another fantastic milestone in the preparations for London 2012. The faultless construction of the Stadium, on time and under budget, is a shining example of how London is primed and ready to host the greatest show on earth. The real joy of being so far ahead is that, unlike any other host city, we are already able to focus on securing the legacy we are so determined to deliver from the Games.'
Olympic Stadium facts & figures
- 80,000 capacity in Games mode and designed to be flexible enough to accommodate a number of different legacy requirements and capacities in legacy
- The Stadium hosts the Opening and Closing ceremonies as well as the Athletics track and field events
- The Stadium is visible across the Park from all approaches and will be the centre piece for the 2012 Games.
- The total Stadium island site covers an area of 40 acres - it is compact and surrounded by water on three sides.
- Five major new bridges will lead spectators into the site, provide spectacular views across the Park and London
- The shape of the Stadium is an ellipse with a long axis of 315m and a short axis of 256m. It stands at 60m in height above the field of play and the perimeter is 860m
- 33 buildings on the Olympic Stadium site had been demolished and over 800,000 tonnes of soil was taken away before construction could begin - enough to fill the Royal Albert Hall nine times over
- The Stadium will contain around 10,000 tonnes of steel - it will be the lightest Olympic Stadium to date
Construction facts and figures
- Construction started in May 2008 and has been completed in just under three years.
- The design and construction team has been led by Sir Robert McAlpine, with Populous as the Architect and Buro Happold as the designer of the civils, structural and building services work. Hyland Edgar Driver were the Landscape Architects. The Planning Consultant was Savilles Hepher Dixon.
- Over 5250 people have worked on the project over the past three years with the operatives workforce peaking at 650
- Over 240 businesses, from Devon to Scotland, have worked on the construction of the Stadium.
- More than 5,000 reinforced concrete columns were installed into the ground, up to 20m deep, to provide the foundations to support the Stadium structure
- 112 steel rakers and 12,000 pre-cast concrete terracing units hold the spectator seating in place
- The roof compression truss is made up of 28 steel sections, each one is 15m high by 30m long and weigh 85 tonne. A 1,350-tonne super lift crane was assembled in the field of play to lift them into place between January and July in 2009.
- The cable net roof provides the correct conditions for athletes on the field of play and covering two-thirds of spectators. The roof is covered by 112 panels of white material, totalling 25,000 m². The fabric was fitted by a team of 23 expert abseilers.
- To ensure that the sporting action is illuminated and to meet high definition TV standards, the Stadium is lit by 532 individual floodlights housed in 14 towers. The top of the towers reach 70m above the field of play.
- Each of the 14 lighting tower weighs 34 tonnes and are 28m high. They were lifted into place by a 650 tonne crane over a period of 14 days in March 2010.
- There will be around 700 rooms and spaces within the Stadium, including changing rooms and toilets. The fit-out work has required15,000sqm of plasterboard, 140,000 blocks to create walls, 11km of pipes for drainage, 338km of power cables plus 33km of other data systems cabling and 12km of ventilation ducts.
- The turf for the field of play was grown in Scunthorpe and was laid over a period of three days in March 2011.
- The track will be laid later this year to allow for LOCOG to carry out temporary overlay work which may need cranes and so could damage the track if it was laid now.
- The black and white spectator seats were designed in the UK and manufactured in a factory in Luton. They were fitted between May and December 2010.
- The toilets for spectators are spread out across 32 separate buildings on the podium level and are all now functional.
Olympic Stadium - timeline
Jul ‘06 - Search starts for team to build and design the Olympic Stadium
Sept ’06 - OJEU Competition launched
Jan ’07 - Team Stadium selected as ‘Preferred Bidders’ by the ODA.
Jun '07 - Team Stadium commences concept design
Jul ’07 - Demolition starts on Olympic Stadium site
Jul ’07 - MOU signed with Team Stadium
Nov ’07 - Concept designs launched
Dec ’07 - Stadium site clearance completes
Mar ‘08 - 1st planning application given approval
Apr ’08 - Contract signed and Team Stadium take over Stadium site
May ’08 - Main Planning Application submitted
May ’08 - Construction starts
Jul ’09 - Construction of external structure completed
May ’10 - Work starts on field of play and track area, and first seats manufactured
Aug ’10 - OPLC starts formal bidding process for legacy operators of the Olympic Stadium
Dec ‘10 - Floodlights tested and all spectator seating in place
Feb ’11 - OPLC confirms that a consortium of West Ham United FC and the London Borough of Newham are the preferred long-term tenant for the Olympic Stadium
Mar ‘11 - Construction complete
Summer 2011 - Summer 2012: LOCOG over-lay, fit-out and test events
Notes to editors:
- Projects that Sir Robert McAlpine have worked on with their designers include the Arsenal Emirates Stadium, the Millennium Dome and the O2 Arena. Populous were the architect on the Olympic Stadium for the Sydney Games
- New aerial and on-the-ground images of the Stadium, plus images of the last piece of turf being laid can be downloaded here: http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr149369442
- Images from site preparation through to construction completion can be downloaded here: http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr149370091
- Ends -
- For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700.
- The construction of the venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Games is funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency.
