Author: Martijn

Part 1 of 11 in a serie blog posts about the legacy of London 2012. (read more)

• Design by; Populous
• Capacity; 80000 seats (54000-60000 post-Olympics)

London 2012

• Olympic Games; Ceremonies & Athetics
• Paralympic Games; Ceremonies & Athetics

Post-Olympics

• Anniversary Games  (2013)
• Currently transformed into a UEFA Category 4 venue with retractable seating
• Rugby World Cup (summer 2015)
• Home of West Ham United (from 2016-17 football season)
• London Grand Prix Athletics (from summer 2016)
• World Athletics Championships, IAAF & IPC (2017)

Photos

Photos taken on August 23 & 24, 2014. (click to enlarge)

Read more

• London 2012; Transformation Olympic Stadium (4)
• London 2012; Transformation Olympic Stadium (3)
• London 2012; Steelconstruction Olympic Stadium
• London 2012; Transformation Olympic Stadium (2)
• London 2012; Transformation Olympic Stadium started
• Populous website

Olympic Stadium build sequence video

Screenshots:

 

Timeline

• Removal of first 14 rows of seating and terraces – August 2013
• Roof dismantling works start – mid-October 2013
• Roof dismantled – by Spring 2014
• New roof erected – by Spring 2015
• Concessions, toilets, turnstiles, hospitality space and rugby pitch complete for use by RWC2015 – by Summer 2015
• RWC2015 matches – September and October 2015
• Retractable seating install, hospitality fit-out, football pitch and athletic track complete – by Summer 2016
• 2016 Diamond League – July 2016
• 2016 Football Season starts – August 2016
• 2017 IPC & IAAF World Athletic Championships

 

 

Images via www.skyscrapercity.com

https://twitter.com/NPAS_Redhill/status/420492673687248896

 

Building contract awarded

 

Stadium’s retractable seating pushed and pulled by hand

The Olympic running track where Bolt, Ennis and Farah struck gold during London 2012 will be out of bounds to athletes for nine months every year.

The £154m cost of converting the Olympic stadium into a new home for West Ham includes retractable seating over the running track. But unlike other venues, the seats will not be fitted with a hydraulic or electrical mechanism.

Instead, they’ll be pushed and pulled into place by a team of stadium workers. The process will take up to seven days. That means the track is likely to remain covered throughout the football season from August to May.

A warm-up track, with seating for 300 spectators, will be built next to the stadium and is likely to become the main focus for grassroots and community sport. Officials at the London Legacy Development Corporation said the manually-operated retractable seats would be cheaper to build and maintain.

Source: ITV

The transformation of the 2012 Olympic Stadium has started. The seats in the lower bowl were removed and the track is covered with soil and concrete. The next step is the removal of the 14 iconic floodlights. The new roof will be completed by spring 2015.

(video: London Legacy Development Corporation)

New retractable seating will be installed from October 2015. The transformation works are completed in the summer of 2016.

From 2016 the stadium will be used for football (West Ham United) and athletics (annual Diamond League meeting).