Design teams sought for new sporting hub

Eton Manor is the former site of a community sports centre, but has remained dilapidated and disused since 2001. The site will be transformed to provide a range of sporting facilities in the north of the Olympic Park adapted to accommodate different uses across Olympic, Paralympic and Legacy modes. The Eton Manor site will also include a mixture of both temporary and permanent buildings to meet the ODA’s commitments to sustainable design.

The ODA is seeking design teams to submit proposals covering these phases during and after the 2012 Games:

Olympics Mode: the site will provide temporary facilities for Gymnastic and Aquatic athlete training

Paralympic Mode: the site will host the Paralympic Archery and Paralympic Tennis events programme. The site will include a Paralympic Archery field of play with temporary seating for 3,000 spectators, and 9 competition tennis courts with temporary seating for 9,250 spectators

Legacy Mode: the site will provide a flexible sporting legacy including Hockey facilities with 5,000 permanent seats, tennis facilities and other multi-purpose sports facilities

As well as the new sporting facilities, the ODA will also be building two new land bridges to better connect Eton Manor with the surrounding area.

David Higgins, Chief Executive of the ODA said:

“The Eton Manor site is steeped in sporting history. We want to recapture this and regenerate the area with well designed, world-class facilities fit for the Olympic and Paralympic stage. The new facilities along with the new bridges and new walking and cycling routes better linking them into the local community, will mean that London 2012 will leave a significant sporting legacy in the north of the Olympic Park for generations to come.”

Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee, said:

“Eton Manor will provide key facilities and venues for the best athletes in the world in 2012 while also leaving the legacy of state-of-the-art sports facilities for Londoners to use and enjoy. This is a great chance for design teams to play their part in transforming this key part of the Olympic Park with world-class facilities for elite athletes and the local communities alike.”

In legacy, the venues and facilities at Eton Manor will join the world-class cycling facilities in the VeloPark and the renovated Hackney marshes to create a sporting hub in the north of the Olympic Park for the local community and elite athletes.

The Eton Manor design contract has now been posted on the ODA’s e-tendering website and the design contract is expected to be awarded early next year.

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For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700 or visit the website at www.london2012.com.

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