London’s Olympic Park: One year to go

Wednesday, July 27: there are now just 366 days left (2012 is a leap year) before the Summer Olympics, which will be held in London from July 27 to August 12, 2012. Construction work on the Olympic Park and Village in London’s East End is in its final stages.

As of today, 88% of the construction work on the main Olympic facilities has been completed. The Olympic Delivery Authority has already handed five venues over to the organizing committee, which will start bringing them into use in summer. Many of these venues will hold test competitions.

Construction work on the Olympic Stadium was completed this year. It is one of the most environmentally friendly and lightest stadiums in the world.

Its construction used just 10,000 metric tons of steel, and a large volume of recycled gas pipes.

The International Broadcast Center (Main Press Center) and the Velodrome (photo, left) have been commissioned. Not only is this latter made of wood, it is designed to let the maximum amount of daylight in, reducing the amount of energy used by artificial lighting.

The Basketball Arena (photo, center) was also completed in early June.

Construction work on the Basketball Arena, which has a capacity of 12,000, started in October 2009. It will become one of the park’s largest temporary venues. The stadium will be disassembled after the Games, and can be set up for use in other locations.

The Handball Arena is designed as a permanent venue. After the Olympics, it will become a multi-use sports complex.

The Aquatics Center with its wave-like roof is sure to become the symbol of the Olympic Park. This will be the first building that athletes and spectators see as they enter. It was designed by British architect Zaha Hadid.

The stadium will be opened a year before the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony. On July 27, young British diver and Olympic Gold hopeful Tom Daley will take the first plunge into the Olympic swimming pool.

In September, a massive Westfield shopping mall will open near the Olympic Park. The Docklands Light Railway station here is already open.

Most importantly, the Olympic Village which will house the athletes for the duration of the Games will later be transformed into 2,800 new flats, about 1,500 of which will be in the “affordable housing” bracket.

Famous British-Indian artist Anish Kapoor will have erected his sculpture, the ArcelorMittal Orbit, in the park by 2012. The statue, which resembles roller coaster tracks, comprises a winding spiral of interlocking Olympic rings. It will become a new tourist attraction. A viewing platform at the top of the installation will offer spectacular views over the Olympic Park and London’s East End. Visitors will be able to use elevators to reach the platform and walk back down using a spiral stairway.