Olympic gold medal cyclist to help judge Olympic VeloPark design competition

Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Chris Hoy will join leading names from the world of design and architecture to help choose the winning blueprint for one of London 2012’s flagship venues the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) announced today.

As well as confirming the members of the 'Design Jury' the ODA also announced a high-quality shortlist for the VeloPark design competition. The competition underlines the ODA’s strong commitment to excellence and innovation in venue design and the strength of the shortlisted designers will help ensure the VeloPark will be a first class sporting facility during the Games whilst also leaving a landmark venue and significant cycling legacy for East London long after 2012.

The short-listed teams will now be asked to put forward concept designs for the VeloPark in both Games time and legacy. Their submissions will be assessed in late June by a Design Jury which will also include Sir Nicholas Serota, Sunand Prasad (President Elect of the Royal Institute of British Architects) and Kathryn Moore (Past President of the Landscape Institute). The winner is expected to be announced in the summer.

ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said: "This shortlist includes some of the world’s best design teams. With Chris Hoy on the Design Jury sport is also right at the heart of the design process.

"I also want to underline our commitment to a significant Cycling legacy post-2012. The VeloPark will provide a lasting legacy of brand new Cycling facilities for all ages and abilities and we want to ensure that this is as comprehensive and wide-ranging as possible within the confines of the site. We are continuing to discuss how we best achieve this with British Cycling and other user groups.”

London 2012 Organising Committee Chairman Sebastian Coe said: "The calibre of our design jury has been matched by an equally impressive shortlist of world-class designers. This is exactly what we want to ensure there is a world class Cycling venue put in place with a lasting legacy.

"Having the current Cycling world champion Chris Hoy on board to help us select the designer is a huge boost and will help us create a venue fit for future champions."

Olympic Cycling Champion Chris Hoy said: "I am delighted to be on the panel that will be selecting a design team for the VeloPark and it promises to be a fantastic venue for both the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and in legacy."

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said: "Great design and world class functional and beautiful buildings will be an essential part of the 2012 legacy. The impressive shortlist and design jury for the Velopark is evidence of our commitment to realising this ambition."

British Cycling Chief Executive Peter King said: "The Olympic VeloPark will be a huge boost to British Cycling. This design competition is the first step towards creating world class facilities that will hopefully help us hit gold in 2012 and in legacy will inspire a new generation of cyclists of all ages and abilities."

Shaun Dawson, Chief Executive of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA), which will operate the VeloPark in legacy, said: "The selected shortlist for the design of the VeloPark comprises high profile architects and design teams which will ensure there is a wide range of conceptual designs presented. I am delighted to be on the selection jury and will be looking specifically at the legacy element of the design work, as it is vital that the chosen design is fitting for the long term aspirations and operation of the VeloPark."

The VeloPark will be based in the north of the Olympic site. After the 2012 Games, there will be a permanent Cycling legacy in the area with a state of the art velodrome, plans for a BMX circuit and a permanent Road Cycle circuit as well as a permanent Mountain Bike course. The VeloPark will also be connected to the Sustrans National Cycle Network, linking the new facilities into cycle routes across London.

In addition, the London Development Agency (LDA) are investing £5m in a new permanent Road Cycle circuit and Mountain Bike course at Hog Hill, Redbridge and will be funding the facility up to the completion of the legacy VeloPark. The ODA are working to identify an operator of Hog Hill beyond 2012.

Discussions with British Cycling and other user groups on legacy provision continue.

Notes to editors:

Chris Hoy is an Olympic Games gold and silver medal winner and an Olympic and World record holder. Career highlights and accolades include seven times World Champion, European Champion and twice Commonwealth Champion. In the 2005 New Year's Honours list, Hoy was awarded an MBE for services to Cycling.

1. The design team competition was launched in February and received more than 100 expressions of interest from companies of all sizes and backgrounds. The bids have now been narrowed down into a shortlist of 8 teams:

• David Chipperfield
• David Morley Architects
• Dominique Perrault Architecte
• FLACQ
• Faulkner Browns with Heatherwick Studio
• Foreign Office Architects
• Hopkins Architects with Sanda Douma Associates
• Wilkinson Eyre

2. The VeloPark will be based in the north of the Olympic Park and will include a Velodrome to host the Olympic and Paralympic indoor track cycling events and a temporary purpose built BMX circuit to host Olympic BMX events.

3. After the 2012 Games, there will be a permanent Cycling legacy in the area with plans to relocate the BMX circuit and add a Road Cycle circuit and Mountain Bike course. The VeloPark will also be connected to the Sustrans National Cycle Network, linking the new facilities into Cycle routes across London.

4. Lee Valley Regional Park Authority will own and operate the VeloPark in legacy.

5. The design team is expected to be appointed in the summer. There will then be around 10 months for the outline design phase followed by nine months of detailed design development, before construction work starts in the spring of 2009. The VeloPark will be completed in time for test events to take place in the summer of 2011.

6. The full Design Jury members will be:

• David Higgins – Chief Executive, ODA
• Sir Nicholas Serota – ODA Board Member
• Chris Hoy – Olympic Cycling Gold Medalist
• Ricky Burdett – ODA Principal Design Advisor
• Derek Wilson – LOCOG
• Sunand Prasad – President Elect of RIBA
• Kathryn Moore – Past President of the Landscape Institute
• Shaun Dawson – CEO LVRPA

Media Enquiries

Contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on 020 3 2012 700