London 2012 blog

One of our new time-lapse cameras has been hard at work capturing the rapid changes on the Olympic Stadium site.

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Our latest aerial images released yesterday show some big changes on two of the venues, the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics Centre.

Olympic Stadium site June 2008

Just under a year on from the start of demolition this view of the Stadium site shows a completely different scene. Construction has been underway since May and three large tower cranes now dominate the skyline:



Olympic Stadium site April 2007

This view shows the Stadium island site three months before the land was handed over to the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) for the start of demolition:

Read more of “New aerials show the past and present of the Park”

No, the trains are no longer stopping at the Park. That’s because new railway sidings at Orient Way were delivered ahead of schedule this week and have freed up a large area within the Olympic Park known as Thornton’s Field.

Thornton’s Field

The Thornton’s Field railway sidings had been in operation for 80 years and were used to 'park' trains leaving Liverpool Street after the morning rush hour, while they weren't needed during off-peak times:



Park and ride

While the new sidings were being constructed, the rest of the Olympic Park was undergoing rapid change. In this picture you can see the trains, at rest after the morning rush hour, with the Olympic Stadium site in the background:



Orient Way

The new railway sidings that have replaced Thornton’s Field have been built at Orient Way, adjacent to the Lea Valley Line to the north of the Park:



Sustainable Games

In building the new 12-track railway sidings at Orient Way, over 3,250 yards of track was lifted and reused. This photograph was taken six months ago when the track laying for the new sidings had just started:



High voltage

During April the new overhead lines were being installed as the project kept ahead of schedule and budget:



Delivered

This week an event was held to officially mark the opening of the Orient Way sidings, which have been operational since June. Standing in front of the trains is Rail Minister Tom Harris and ODA Chairman John Armitt:

With the Stadium site changing so rapidly I thought I'd check back to March to pinch myself and remember what the view looked like then. Brace yourself because, like me, you might think you are looking at something else!

Beginning of March

Just over three months ago there wasn't even a clear shape to the Stadium bowl:

Read more of “Latest photos: a lot's changed over the last four months”

The position of the future Olympic Village

The Olympic Village is immediately to the north of the new Stratford International station and the line that takes the High Speed 1 train from London to Europe:



Zooming in

In this image you can see some of the site detail more clearly including the first of the piling rigs. These will insert concrete columns up to 24 metres in length to reinforce the ground where the first blocks of the Olympic Village will sit:



Piling to create the foundations

The piling works will form the permanent foundations for the first blocks of the Olympic Village:



Looking into the future

This is the latest artist's impression of the Olympic Village. During the Games, the Village will provide 17,000 beds for athletes and officials and 7,500 in the Paralympic Games. After the Games, the Village will provide up to 3,500 new homes:

Last week construction started three months ahead of schedule on the Olympic Stadium. To mark the milestone, an event was organised at the Team Stadium site offices which included the first visit by Prime Minister Gordon Brown as well as new Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

Have a read on to see a quick selection of images from the day.

John Armitt, Chairman of the ODA and Seb Coe, LOCOG Chair show the Olympic Stadium model to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Sarah Brown and the new Mayor of London, Boris Johnson:

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It’s not just sporting venues being constructed within the Olympic Park - the Olympic Village will be built just beside it - a key development on the Park. With accommodation and facilities for over 17,000 athletes and officials during the Olympic Games, and over 8,000 during the Paralympic Games, the Olympic Village will enhance their experience of London 2012.

1) From this view taken in November 2007 you can see progress taking place on the area that will link the Olympic Village and VeloPark during the Games…:

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In this week's peek at the Olympic Park, the images show what we’ve been doing to widen the Waterworks River. Water is a central feature of the Park. The Waterworks River, adjacent to the Aquatics Centre, is currently undergoing extensive regeneration.  

1) This photo was taken last summer before any piling work began. Time was not on the side of the old blue metal railing and the dilapidated concrete walls were originally built in the 1930s:



2) With the old blue railings in the foreground of this image and the piling beyond, you can see how the Waterworks River will be widened by about eight metres once the work is complete:

Read more of “Latest images from the Olympic Park”

After the heady heights of last week's aerial photos blog, this is the latest weekly update from me on the changing views across the Park. Read on for the latest views from the Aquatics Centre site and the Olympic Stadium bowl, which will contain the lower permanent tiers of seating and track. 

1) In this panoramic you can see both the Stadium and Aquatics Centre sites and to the far right of the image you can also see Stratford International Station. During the Games a walkway and bridge will link the station to the Stadium:



2) After months of digging out and treating the contaminated soil, this is the latest overview of the Aquatics Centre site. On the left of the image, the widening of the Waterworks River walls is in progress:

Read more of “Latest images: Stadium and Aquatics Centre”

This is what you see from a thousand feet above the 2012 Stadium.  As the ODA Filming Manager it's one of my jobs to point out the best bits to take photos of - right now the Stadium is it.



There have been so many changes in just a few months, demolition of old buildings, digging out of the contaminated soil and preparation of the building platform:



Now there's the clear shape of the bowl cut into the ground and it's the first real visual clue to how this space will turn into an Olympic Stadium in just over four years.